Ringleader
by increak96
Summary: Aido and Akatsuki are gang members under the charge of Kaname Kuran, following the trail of Shizuka Hio. Their biggest clue is found when a young boy is admitted to the hospital for blood loss. With no family left, they can't very well leave him, right?
1. Chapter 1

**A\N: So... yeah. Just had this idea bugging me for a while and... yup. Wanted to do it. So I did. Obviously, it's an AU. I don't own a thing, please enjoy and if you do, make sure to review! Thanks!**

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><p>Blazing sirens split the air, and twelve-year-old Zero Kiryuu wanted to kick the ambulance driver in the shin for having that piercing, excruciating noise ringing in his ears, making his headache worse.<p>

He couldn't move, and he could barely think, but he knew his family was gone, and he knew he wanted to die. He could hardly make out the blood splattered inside of the vehicle, and even less so the flurry of action the paramedics created.

_Please… don't let me wake up._

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><p>"You idiot!" Akatsuki slapped himself in the forehead, glaring between his nimble fingers at his younger cousin. The blonde noble dropped the body he was holding and blushed furiously, rubbing his hands on his pants.<p>

"Caught red handed, eh?"

Akatsuki shot daggers at him and let out a heavy sigh. "Do you realize that because I just spent the last three hours trying to find you, we've lost the Shizuka trail? I'm not getting the backhand for this slip up, got it? You're going to tell the boss man about this."

Aido shrugged his shoulder, pulling his denim jacket closer to himself and starting to walk towards the end of the ally. "Sure."

Akatsuki rolled his eyes. "He always goes easy on you, anyways."

Aido smirked. "Yes. Yes, he does."

Akatsuki sighed, running his hands through his burnt orange hair. "Yeah, yeah." He never could stay mad at the dumb blonde for very long. "Whatever. We just need to—"

"Did you hear that?" Aido jumped suddenly, pulling up his hood and creeping towards the end of the alley.

"Hear what?"

"Shh!"

They both listened, tuning in their superhuman, vampire hearing.

"It's a siren…" Akatsuki mumbled, thinking of the poor soul now given over to the hands of cruel fate.

"At this hour? No cars going anywhere, so it's not a wreck. No smoke, so it's not a fire." Aido's turquoise eyes lit up, and he grinned at the redhead. "Let's go check it out!"

Akatsuki slapped him upside the head. "Let the humans die in peace, for crying out loud! Defile the grave later if you want."

"No! I mean, maybe this is how we're going to find Shizuka's trail again."

"Or maybe it was a human homicide, or a robbery, or a stand-up, or a drive-by shooting, or a rapist on the loose, or a woman going into unsuspected labor because she fell down the stairs. There's a million things it could be, let's go!" Akatsuki turned and started towards a manhole at the end of the alley.

Aido didn't reply, and Akatsuki let out a huff.

"Don't be such a baby. Just come check it out with me."

He turned to glare, but found he was alone.

_Darn that stupid kid._

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><p>Aido grasped the windowsill tightly and raised his head just above the brick ledge, peeking into the room where doctor's operated quickly to sustain a young human boy with blood to make up for what he has lost. And he had lost a lot. The smell was tantalizing, wafting through the air and around the aristocrat's nose.<p>

"A million things, huh?" He grinned, watching the door fly open, revealing the number to be 302 before it slammed shut again. "Why are you working on him in a regular room? Hmm… Interesting…"

Aido jumped down, falling three stories to the ground where he dusted off his jeans and started for the front door. He was almost around the corner of the building when a hand grasped his shoulder.

"Let's go, Hanabusa."

Aido shook his head, jerking his shoulder away. "They're repairing blood loss. I want to check it out."

"Check it out later. I just got a call from Kuran, he wants us back A.S.A.P."

"Did you tell him about the ambulance?"

"Well, no, but—"

"Then he doesn't know that what we're doing is important to the mission!" Aido started again for the door, Akatsuki on his tail.

"We need to go. Now!"

Aido ignored him, and after a long sigh from his cousin, he heard, "Look, if you just come back with me now, I promise we will leave as soon as we can to check this out. It's not like he's going anywhere tonight. Besides, we have to wait until they leave him alone in the room."

Aido let his shoulders slouch, nodding begrudgingly as he started for a nearby manhole. "Alright, fine."

Akatsuki sighed, rolling his eyes. "Thank you."

Aido glared. "Yuh-huh."

Akatsuki laughed, socking his arm and dashed forwards, flipped the lid off and tossing it into the air and he jumped into the waters below. Aido glanced over his shoulder one last time, the child's blood still permeating his sense, and then dove in before the lid fell on, sealing them away from the world above.


	2. Chapter 2

**A\N: Alright, here's chapter two! Longer than the last one, but still not overly impressive in my opinion. I hope you all enjoy, and y'all know I don't own this!**

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><p>Kaname Kuran let out a long stream of air, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head in utter disbelief. How could two vampires—two <em>noble <em>vampires—mess up so many times in one night? How was that even possible?

"Kaname, you've gotta believe me. For once, it wasn't my fault!" Aido exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "I was so hungry I couldn't take it anymore!"

Akatsuki slapped him upside the head, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's ridiculous. The very fact that you couldn't control yourself proves that it _was _all your fault. Get a grip, man!"

Aido rubbed the sore spot, turquoise eyes sending out a silent plea to the pureblood leader perched on the desk before them. "Kaname-sama, I really am sorry…" He hung his head for several quiet moments, and then suddenly perked, holding his index finger high in the air. "However, I _do _think I discovered a Level D!"

Kaname's ears perked at that, and he stepped towards the two young members, capturing their attention by simple looking at them. "Really?" He glanced at the elder of the two when he said this, knowing Aido could be very… exaggerative, to say the least.

The redhead shrugged. "I don't know. It could have been."

"It was!" Aido insisted, glaring at his cousin. "They were repairing blood loss, and there were hardly any injuries. They weren't even in an emergency room, they were just in a regular one. I bet a member of the Hunter's Association was in there!"

Kaname turned away from both of them, placing his chin in his hand as he considered the possibilities. It was very possible the boy had thin blood and a head injury. But it was also very possible that Shizuka had turned him into a Level D, and if that was the case, he was one step closer to finding the pureblood that had kicked him out of power and corrupted the Senate.

Facing back towards them, he met Akatsuki's gaze first, and then Aido's. "Go find out. Aido, you investigate the hospital during shift change. Akatsuki, join Shiki in the information room and dig up what you can. Once you find his house, go there and see what you can learn."

Akatsuki nodded wordlessly and turned on his heel, striding down the dark tunnel towards the office. Aido remained behind, staring up at Kaname with wide, adoring eyes.

"Is there something you need, Aido?"

Aido sputtered, quickly sobering himself and walking backwards towards the exit. "N-no, I'm fine, Kaname-sama!"

Kaname smiled at him, catching his wrist as he tripped over a drainpipe. "Would you calm down? And quit with all of the sama stuff. You know we're all equals here."

Aido nodded vigorously and stood straight and tall. "I won't let you down this time, Kaname! I'll go find the Level D boy and… er, what do you want me to do with him?"

Kaname tousled his hair, making his way to the kitchen. "Bring him to me."

Aido saluted and dashed down the hall. "Yes, Kaname-sama!"

Kaname chuckled, opening the refrigerator and pulling out a bottle filled with crimson blood.

_Some things will never change._

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><p>Aido waited anxiously outside the hospital for eleven to arrive, in which the shifts would change and chaos would ensue. It would have been much better to do this at three in the afternoon, but this was what he had to go on. Kaname-sama wanted him right away.<p>

Aido glanced at his watch and grinned. 10:59. With the assistance of his vampire speed, he shot into the building and through the halls, his nose determining the location of the victim in question. Within seconds, he was standing over the child in the bed, and not one single soul had witnessed his entrance.

Slowly, he moved closer to the body, watching him carefully with a sense of fascination lighting his eyes. The boy was… serene, to be honest. Eyes gently closed and smooth, silver locks draped over his face, pooling around his head. His chest softly rose and fell with each breath, and his mouth hung open just enough for Aido to see how white his teeth were.

Pulling his gaze from the young human—or vampire, it was yet to be determined—Aido reached down and grabbed the boy's chart. Next to nothing was filled out. Just his name, age, and the obvious details of hair, eyes, weight, height, and the like.

"Zero? Your name is Zero Kiryuu?" Aido scanned the pages, smirking in victory when he read the stamped on words 'HUNTER'S ASSN. CASE' in red. "So you _are_ a vampire."

Aido took what few pages there were and slid them into his back pocket, moving to the side of the bed and lowering the rail. He carefully removed the IVs and grabbed a pen from a nightstand, writing down the names of the medications on his hand. Then gently, tenderly, he slid his arms beneath the limp body and raised him from the bed, pulling Zero close to his chest and watching carefully for any sign that he was going to wake up.

Aido jumped as he heard footsteps and soft voices approaching, and he panicked for a moment before spying a window. Quickly unlocking the panel, he slid it out of the way and jumped, holding onto Zero tightly, despite the boy's subconscious protests.

He landed on the ground gently, not looking back as he started running towards the edge of town. He knew he had to get back to Kaname, but there were a few things he wanted handled before that.

"Mmm… Dad?"

Aido racked his brain, trying to think of a way to respond. "Shh, just go back to sleep. You were just having a really good dream."

It didn't seem to register in Zero's mind that Aido's was not the voice of his father, and he turned into the vampire's chest, closing his eyes and shuddered as the cold wind licked his body.

Aido sighed in relief and came to a stop outside of an old, rundown building with broken windows and very few lights inside. He kicked the door several times, and after a few moments it opened to reveal a young man with fiery red hair and silver eyes.

"Hiro, I need stuff for a twelve-year-old boy."

Hiro nodded and disappeared into the shadows for just a moment before returning with a trash bag. "Socks, shirts, pants, pajamas, shoes, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, shaving cream, razor, deodorant, soap, jacket… anything else?"

"That's great," Aido said, shifting Zero so he was over his shoulder. "A razor? He's _twelve_."

"He'll need it _eventually, _right? Just keep it in storage." Hiro slapped him on the arm and gave him a smile.

"You're a lifesaver, Hiro. Thanks." Aido grabbed the bag with his now free hand and ran as fast as he could towards the closest manhole he saw. He arrived there and kicked it so it flew into the air while he jumped into it, pulling the bag after him. He splashed down into the water and then righted himself, starting through the long, dark passage towards his leader, Kaname Kuran.

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><p>Zero groaned as something wet splashed into his face, eyes fluttering open. He found himself staring at murky, <em>awful smelling<em> water, and a dull ache was forming in his lower stomach. He shifted ever-so-slightly and realized he was in a hospital gown over someone's shoulder.

He panicked instantly, trying to pull up the last thing he remembered. He was… at home. And then his brother. And the murder. And… ambulance! So that's why he was in a hospital gown. But why was…?

And then he felt it.

"Vampire!" he snarled, twisting around and driving his knee into his captor's face. He heard a surprised shout and they both toppled into the sewage. Zero wasted no time in jumping back to his feet and running down the hall, heart pounding in his chest.

"Hey! What was that for?" the vampire shouted, and the water around his feet began to freeze.

He jumped away from the ice and onto the cement where he was safer and kept running, trying to fend of the dizziness that pounded his head with every step he took, tilting the world this way and that and sending his stomach into wild twirls and turns.

He heard footsteps behind him and rounded a corner, only to slam into something and fall to the ground, the vertigo now ringing his ears and numbing his senses.

"Sorry, Kaname-sama! I didn't know he was awake, and he caught me off-guard."

"It's fine." Then there was a pause, probably from the person he had run into. This… Kaname person. "So this is the Level D?"

"Well, there were papers, but I hit the water and they got all wet. Here."

There was another pause. "Well done, Aido. It seems you were dead on. Zero Ki…what?"

"Kiryuu."

"Oh. I see. Well, bring him along with us. Perhaps we can get some answers from him."

"Kaname-sama, do you think…?"

Zero desperately wanted to hear the rest, but his body refused him and pushed him into unconsciousness.

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><p>"Poor thing," Kaname said when the boy lost consciousness, and he lowered himself to his knees, shifting the child's body onto his lap and stroking the matted hair.<p>

"Oh, he had some medications, too." Aido held out his hands. "Necessary?"

Kaname shook his head. "Not for a vampire. They were probably injecting them as a precaution. But he will want painkillers."

"I'll get right on it!" Aido disappeared around a corner and returned with a trash bag. "Stopped by Hiro's."

Kaname smiled, raising himself and Zero from the floor. "Fantastic. Let's get him cleaned up and changed."

Aido nodded, and the two started down the hall towards the main center of their organization. Swallowing hard, he asked, "Um, Kaname-sama?"

Kaname glanced at him.

"We're not going to… you know, hurt him, right?"

Kaname sighed. "We may have to if it means information on Shizuka's whereabouts."

Aido nodded, training his gaze on the damp cement. "Got it."

"You're not losing sight of the mission, are you?" Kaname asked, stopping for a moment and looking at his young ward.

"No, I just… he's so young, Kaname-sama."

Kaname nodded solemnly, continuing down the corridor. "I know. We'll try and do things the nice way, alright?"

Aido nodded, biting his lip. "Yes, Kaname-sama. Whatever you say."

_Ah, Hanabusa. You never were one for interrogations, were you? So mature when you need to be and so… so young in other ways. Please, bear with it. If only for my sake._

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><p><strong>A\N: Don't worry! It's not gonna be a torture fic, things will start smooth, maybe get a little rough, and then all will be well. XD At least for a chapter or two. XD<strong>

**Please Review!  
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	3. Chapter 3

**A\N: Whoot! I got more up! Thank you so much Blackenflames, Seto k4iba1, and fluffybunny39 for your reviews! And thank You God that I got another chapter done!**

**Please leave a review and check out my facebook fanpage for updates and sneak peaks. :D  
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><p>Zero's eyes fluttered, pain throbbing through his body as he pulled himself into consciousness, gritting his teeth. The entire left side of his neck burned, and he slowly reached his hand up, feeling for the gaping holes he knew were there.<p>

"Hey!"

Zero jumped as the back of his hand was slapped away, and his eyes shot open at the woman's voice, his eyes moving wildly around the room until they fell on a young woman with ash blonde hair.

"Don't touch it yet." Her snappish voice thinly veiled the underlying concern, and he moved his hand away slowly.

"Who are you?" he gasped out, surprised at how hoarse his voice was.

"Souen Ruka."

He nodded slowly, looking around the room. It was nothing like the hospital he had fallen asleep in. It was painted a light blue color, with black furniture and edging. The sheets beneath him were a deep jade, and the ceiling was white. It was… homey. Comfortable.

"Where am I?"

She reached up to his neck, placing a gauze pad on the bite marks. "You're at my house."

He nodded slowly, trying not to disturb the wound she was meticulously caring for.

"I'm… I'm kind of confused right now. I fell asleep in a hospital, and now I'm in some stranger's house—no offense. Can… Can you tell me what happened?"

"Allow me to interject."

Zero jumped at the new voice, and his entire body went rigid as the newcomer's aura swept over him.

"Vampire!" he snarled, jumping up out of the bed and instinctively reaching for his gun.

A hand seized his wrist, and he saw Ruka had jumped over the bed and grabbed his wrist, gripping it tightly. "I would suggest you not do that, Kiryuu-kun," she said softly, her hazel eyes boring into his, fangs peeking past her lips.

His eyes widened—how had he not sensed her malice before? What was wrong with him? Why could he only sense the pureblood?

"You can calm yourself, Zero." Speak of the devil. "No one here wishes you any harm."

"Lies," Zero spat, jerking hard on his wrist while searching his jacket with his free hand.

"Is he awake yet?"

Yet another vampire was in the room now, this one an energetic blonde with wild locks and turquoise eyes.

"Oh, that's not good."

In a flash, the blonde was beside him, restraining his other arm. "Listen, Zero, we don't want to hurt you. You should listen to what Kaname-sama has to say before you get angry with us."

"Let go of me, you filthy beast!" Zero snarled, driving his heels into the ground and pulling as hard as he could on his right arm.

"Zero." It was the pureblood again.

Zero glared viciously, panting. The pain of his injuries began to catch up with him, and his vision was quickly tunneling.

The pureblood looked as if he wanted to speak directly to Zero, but then he changed his mind. "Ruka, Aido, lay him down gently and hold him there for me."

Both vampires did as they were told, Zero's struggles a mere annoyance compared to their strength.

"Let go of me! Let go—MPH!"

Zero gasped as a gag was shoved into his mouth, thrashing and twisting as he was pushed into the sheets, the pureblood steadily approaching him, a pitying expression on his face.

"Now, Zero, you must behave if you want us to treat you well. We really don't want to hurt you, but we have a very important mission to complete, and I'm afraid you're resistance is getting in the way."

_Don't touch me… Don't you dare, I can see your hand! Don't think I can't see it don't _touch _me!_

The pureblood either didn't care or wasn't paying attention to Zero's thought, and he crawled onto the bed and straddled Zero's hips, reaching over to the table and grabbing a fresh gauze pad. Taking Zero's chin in his hand, he turned his head to the side, using a force only another pureblood could counter.

Gently, almost caringly, he placed the gauze onto the hunter's neck and grabbed a bandage, wrapping it loosely around his neck and taping the end down. He smiled, leaning back a little and watching Zero continue to struggle beneath him.

"Zero, you are only hurting yourself." He smiled, rubbing the boy's side as a soft chuckle escaped his lips. "Look at me. I'm in torn jeans and an old, faded t-shirt. I'm a pureblood, yes, but I'm not living the high life as so many of my kind do. I'm not trying to my power over anyone, I'm just trying to make things right between vampires and humans."

Zero panted, blocking out every word he said, glaring at the belt buckle of the noble in front of him, his lavender eyes blazing with hatred.

"Aido, this boy is going to be your charge, correct?"

The blonde boy nodded. "Yes, Kaname-sama."

The pureblood, apparently called Kaname, gave a nod of approval. "Good. You'll need this."

Zero watched, somewhat curious and completely enraged, as Kaname handed over a small device in the shape and style of a television remote.

"If he misbehaves, hit that one, and if he's obedient, press that one. Select the intensity here. Got it?"

"Yup!"

Kaname pressed a switch on the side. "That locks it. Make sure you do that before putting it in your pocket or wallet or such."

Aido nodded vigorously and checked the lock before shoving it into his pocket. Kaname eased off of Zero's body, giving his thigh a few pats.

"Be a good boy, hmm? You help us, and we'll help you. You'll be far away from this place in no time."

Zero glowered. _Yes, I will. But not through your reasoning._

_I wouldn't be so sure of that, Zero._

Lavender eyes widened, and a smirk twisted Kaname's lips.

"Have a good day, Zero. I'll see you around."

Kaname left the room and, after she cleaned up her instruments, Ruka followed silently. When they were alone, Zero turned to the blonde, waiting to see what he would do.

"Alright, time to get you out of that gown." The noble rubbed his hands together, pulling up a large, black bag and digging around in it. "Jeans and a t-shirt okay? You seem like a jeans and a t-shirt kid."

Zero jerked his head wordlessly, suspicious of his behavior.

_You have a very good mask, beast._

Aido caught the nod and pulled out black jeans and a light blue shirt, tossing them both towards the bed. "And… boxers and socks. Shoes…"

Zero caught all of the clothing that was tossed at him, stripping off the gown and dressing himself.

"Okay…" he mumbled, looking around him. The vampire was certainly not one to be trusted, but he hadn't tried anything yet, so he could deal with his presence for the moment.

"When you're all ready to go, I'm going to take you around our little abode down here. We should finish that just in time for dinner, and then I think Akatsuki and Kaname are going to talk to you."

Zero gave Aido a blank stare. "_Or_ I'm going to go to sleep and see you later." Zero toppled over onto the bed, giving the vampire his back, and closed his eyes.

"Ow!" He jumped up, feeling sharp pain in his forehead. He pressed a hand to it, a frown contorting his lips. "What was th—Ow!" The pain returned, more intense than the first time, and his head snapped in the noble's direction.

Aido smiled, holding up the remote. "Don't forget the power we have, Zero. You would do well to listen to us and do as we say."

Zero growled to himself, but got up and followed Aido to the door, his eyes tracing the vampire's every move.

_Just go with it until escape is possible._

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><p>Aido glanced over his shoulder at the hunter as they made their way down the first hall of many that ran throughout the city. He could tell the boy was angry and distrustful, but he was also a little scared and was beginning to give an oh-so slight aura of adjustment to the situation.<p>

"As you can see, we're in a hall with a lot of doors. These all have people living in them, it's… it's kind of like our dorm." Aido pointed to the door at the mouth of the tunnel. "That is Kaname Kuran's room, and Takuma's is right across from his. They are the two head honchos, and Akatsuki and myself are right behind them and our rooms are there and there."

Zero had a vacant expression, but he seemed to understand most of what had been said.

"Now, I'm not showing you where the weapon's room is, but I can take you to the kitchen, laundry room, rec room, lab, and computer room, so… what first?"

Zero shrugged his shoulders. "Computers, I guess."

Aido nodded, taking his arm and moving quickly down the corridor. "Computers it is!"

_I just have to try and make him comfortable._

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><p>Zero lay on his bed, nursing his bloodied face and neck, trying to ease the pain with what little he could find in his apartment of sorts. It had been a long day to begin with—meeting Akatsuki, Ichijo, Shiki, and Rima while touring the entire underground world these vampires had created—and after all of that, Akatsuki and Kaname had 'talked' to him about his relationship with Shizuka. Oh, they had tried to be nice at first, but Zero could see right through their little act. There was no way he was telling them anything. So, of course, they got rough.<p>

Zero's ears perked up as he heard the doors down the hall opening and closing. There was chatter at every entrance, and after a few moments of 'goodnight's being flung up and down the halls and well wishing, the doors stopped moving and the hall fell silent.

The electricity in the wing that held the dorms died, and Zero was plunged into darkness, his heart beating faster as a stifled gasp escaped his lips. The door to his room opened slowly, dim light from the hall slipping in for a brief moment before he was thrust back into the dark.

"H-hello?" he asked, ashamed of his quivering voice.

Two hands pushed him gently into bed and pulled the covers up to his neck, snuggling him in gently. A wet cloth was dabbed against the cuts on his cheek and face, and whoever it was that had entered his room pulled down the bandage just a little bit, peeking beneath it.

"Good, it's already healing." The wound was lightly patted, and someone lit a candle next to him, setting it on the night stand. "Were they good to you?"

Zero recognized Aido's voice and shook his head, glaring into the black, wishing he knew where the vampire was.

"I'm sorry. We… We _have _to know… I promise, we're not after your brother or your family—or even you! You just got dragged into it." Soft, gentle fingers laced through his hair, tucking the silver strands behind his ears. "Just get some sleep. I'm sure they'll interrogate you again in the morning, but… I'll talk to them, okay?"

Zero nodded slightly, his mind slowly fading as sleep crept into his mind.

"Goodnight, Zero."

"G'night… Aido…"

The faint touch of Aido's fingers on his face faded away and he lapsed into the black.

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><p><strong>A\N: Yes, this does have a plot. I know it's not SUPER evident yet, but there will be more action and suspense later. Make sure to leave a review! The more reviews I get, the faster I update! THANKS! <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**A\N: Thanks so much for the reviews, guys! Believe it or not, it really does encourage me to get these chapters up faster. Um, just a warning for people who aren't used to my type of writing, there is an interrogation in the opening and a small battle later, and I can get pretty descriptive without realizing it. My specialty is torture\suspense, so if you're squeamish at all, you may want to skip over some of the beginning and end sections. Thanks!**

**_Mentions:_  
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**_Thank You: _Blackenflames, Seto k4iba1, fluffybunny39, Silvereyedfreak, cybersuzy, Americanidiot1, CapriciousUke, and Aniwolfgirl!**

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><p>Zero grunted as Akatsuki's palm hit his face again, blood dripping from his aching nose as the aristocrat pulled his arm back in preparation for another blow.<p>

"Kain, enough of that."

Akatsuki stopped moving and nodded to the corner of the room where Kaname was sitting watching them with eagle eyes.

"Let him catch his breath for a few moments." Kaname slowly stood up, walking out of the room for a moment before returning with a bottle of water. Making his way over to Zero, he grabbed the boy's chin and pulled his head back, gently pressing the icy cold plastic to his bruised face.

"Zero, we really tried to do this the nice way."

Zero growled, not paying attention to a single word said.

"I know you think I'm enjoying this, but I hate to see people—especially children—in pain. I hate it even more when it's a lost cause." Kaname twisted off the cap and pressed the rim to Zero's lips.

Hesitating for a moment, Zero opened his mouth and took a few sips, sniffing the water on occasion just to be safe.

"Kain, why don't you go check the outdoor monitors?"

Zero felt his blood run cold, and he glanced at the noble, silently screaming 'don't leave me alone with him!'

Akatsuki gave him a sideways glance, but for the most part ignored the gesture and stepped out of the room, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Kaname waited until he left to pull his chair from the corner of the room and sit down across from Zero, still towering over him several inches. "Good, some privacy."

"Whatever you think—"

"You want revenge."

The statement stopped Zero in his train of thought, and he slid his gaze from the pureblood's eyes to the floor and back up.

"You want her blood on your clothes, her still beating heart in your hand, and her body at your feet. You want your brother at your side, and you want both of your parents' graves to hold trophies of her demise." Kaname leaned forwards, going nose to nose with the young hunter. "Am I wrong?"

Zero glowered, grinding his teeth together. "No…"

"So why, Zero? Why? Why fight it? You want revenge, I can give it to you, I need information, you can give it to me, and by giving me the information, you get the revenge you want. What part of that sounds sketchy to you?"

Zero's head snapped in his direction, amethyst eyes searing straight through him. "You."

Kaname nodded his head, a sarcastic grin playing at his lips. "Ah, so it's me. I see." Kaname stood up, walking around the chair Zero was fastened to with his hands gracefully folded at the small of his back. "Would it make a difference if it were… Kain?"

Zero remained still and silent, and Kaname must have taken it as a no because he continued.

"What about Ruka?"

Still, he refused to respond.

"Hmm… then maybe Aido?"

Zero did his best to remain the same, but something about him must have shifted because Kaname chuckled.

"You seem to have a fascination with my right-hand man. I had no idea he could make you reconsider, though."

"He can't!" Zero snapped, cursing himself for displaying that weakness.

"Not yet, Zero. Not. Yet." Kaname stood up and walked around to the front of the chair, unstrapping the metal braces on his wrists and pulling him from his seat. "Are you going to accept the blindfold graciously this time?"

Zero glared at him and the red strip of cloth in his hand for quite a while, and then slowly, he nodded. Kaname tied the cloth around his head and took his arm, pulling him from the room and down… something. Zero had yet to actually see the halls, though he had been through them three times now. The vampires were always very careful to make sure he didn't know how to get in or out of the interrogation wing.

_Clever little vampire… _He grumbled to himself.

_Grumpy little human… _Was the likewise reply.

_Would you stay out of my head?_

Kaname gave his arm a slight jerk. _Perhaps if you weren't so moody, I wouldn't feel the need to always know what you're thinking._

_Wanna know what I'm thinking _now, _Kuran?_

Kaname chuckled, but he left Zero's mind alone, barely escaping the tirade that followed the end of their conversation.

"You are going to eat breakfast with the others, and when you're done there, Aido is taking you into the rec room. It's about time we tested those skills of yours."

"For what? You think I'm gonna—Woah!" Zero stumbled sideways, completely losing his grip on Kaname's hand and cascading towards the floor.

Suddenly, two arms quickly grabbed his torso and pulled him back up, holding his shoulders until he stabilized himself on the concrete.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" he snarled, his face flushing at the spectacle he had just made of himself.

"Watch your step." Kaname's tone hinted at sarcasm, and he nudged Zero on the elbow, continuing down the corridor with the hunter's arm in his hand.

_Likewise, vampire._

* * *

><p>Aido frowned at the sight of Zero's face, and he looked at Khanamei with questioning and somewhat hurt eyes. Kaname stared back at him, giving him a helpless shrug, his expression a mix between an apology and frustration.<p>

"Hello, Zero." Aido smile, reaching up and removing the blindfold. "How do you feel?"

"I want to go to bed," he grumbled, but Aido could smell the underlying fear. He hated this place. He was terrified of it.

Kaname glanced down at his wristwatch and pursed his lips. "I think we can arrange time for a nap."

Zero shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't matter."

Kaname and Aido cast each other glances, but Kaname nodded. "Alright, then. Aido, would you please take him to the rec room so we can test some of his skills. He'll need to have a physical after that as well."

Zero jerked, whirling on Kaname. "Why do I need a physical?"

Kaname held up his hands, gesturing to him to calm down. "We can't have anyone bringing in their illnesses, and if you have any allergies or medical conditions, we need to know. Especially considering you were just in a germ infested hospital."

"B-but—" Zero's face flushed, and he grit his teeth.

Aido put a hand on his shoulder, smiling comfortingly at him. "Relax, Zero. We all go for physicals once a year—sometimes more. We live in a sewer, after all."

"But…" Zero dropped his head, shoulders slumping. "Fine."

Kaname smiled, nudging his shoulder. "There's a good sport. I have to go for mine in a week or so, and I'm dreading it as well."

Zero gave him an odd look. "Aren't purebloods naturally perfect or something like that?"

Kaname threw his head back and laughed, and Aido smiled, happy to see some less-than-hostile conversation going on.

"Not at all! Most purebloods seem so healthy because they have mounds of money and can afford the best doctors out there, but down here…" Kaname shrugged his shoulders, turning his pockets inside out. "I'm as broke as the next person."

Zero scowled at him still, but he seemed slightly less hateful and just turned away with a soft, 'Whatever.'

"Anyways, I have an appointment on the surface in twelve minutes, so I'll see you around." Kaname turned, waving over his shoulder, and Aido waved back.

"Be careful, Kaname-sama!"

"I will."

Aido watched him until he rounded the corner, and then he turned around the other way. "Alright, Zero, to the rec room and the med hall."

"Yippee," Zero muttered.

Aido sighed, a faint smile teasing his lips as he tried to remain cheerful. "It'll be alright, Zero."

"Yup."

Aido shook his head, walking down the hall with at least a million thoughts nagging every corner over his mind.

_I know living with vampires is hard for him, but Kaname-sama is trying to be nice! Why can't Zero cooperate? Why can't Kaname-sama be patient? Augh! If only Shizuka wasn't such a big problem, I would ask Kaname-sama to be lighter on the interrogations. I suppose… in a situation like this, there's only so much one can do._

* * *

><p>Zero glanced around the rec room at the target, hurdles, obstacle courses, and racetracks that had been set up. They all looked pretty difficult, and while Zero was confident in his skill, he wasn't quite sure he was ready for this.<p>

"Now, if you were an adult, this would all be very real."

Zero's head snapped up as Akatsuki explained the room, walking towards the targets.

"For example, if you were Aido's age, and I put you through that obstacle course, and you messed up, you would die."

Zero gulped, nodding his head as the sienna-haired vampire continued.

"But, since you're a minor, if you mess up on the obstacle course, Aido or I will stop you from getting hurt. Still, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try your best."

Zero gave a sharp nod, his hands fiddling with his green cargo pants as he watched Akatsuki pick up a handgun and aim for the person shaped board on the wall. He cocked the weapon and took just a half a second to aim before firing into the dead center. The wood splintered, and Akatsuki walked over, removing the broken wood and putting a new target in its place.

"I want you to stand in this one spot and stood all ten targets from here. You need to be able to hit an enemy from more than just head-on."

Zero nodding, picking up a different gun and slipping off the safety with well-trained hands. Bringing it up to eye level, he aimed and tensed his fingers, ready to fire.

Suddenly, he stopped.

"Where's the Bloody Rose?" he gasped, turning wide eyes to his peers.

Aido and Akatsuki looked at each other and then at him, confused.

"My gun, where's my gun? It was with me at the hospital!"

Aido shook his head slowly, his lips curling into a frown. "Zero, you're hospital room was bare. It was you, a bed, an IV post, and one table with no drawers and nothing on it but one glass of water."

"No, she had to be there!" Zero exclaimed, his eyes desperately searching Aido's for any sign that the noble believed him.

"I… I'm sorry, Zero, but there was nothing there. You must be mistaken."

Zero watched him for a moment, and then glared, turning his head the other way. "Fine."

"Zero, don't be—"

Zero fired the gun, splitting the wood dead center and whipping his hand to the right, moving down the line until all of the objects were shattered. Then he moved the mark directly left of the first target and began firing once more.

In a way he felt… betrayed by Aido. He knew he had seen the Bloody Rose on the table by his bed. He knew he had! Master Yagari had even said it was there before he left the room with Kaien Cross. He had to get her back—he had to!

"Done," he snarled, glancing at Akatsuki for further instructions.

The tall noble kept his poker face, hazel eyes void of any emotion as he moved towards the racetrack. "Run this, and I'll time you. Go when you hear the gun."

Zero lowered himself to the ground and prepared to take off, waiting with tensed muscles for the resounding gunfire. It came, and he took off like a rocket, sliding a little as the makeshift track seeped into the sewage. Recovering, he made the curve and started back towards the two vampires waiting for him.

He ran all the way back and skidded across the finish line, waiting for the verdict. Akatsuki quickly did the math in his head and then announced, "Twenty one miles per hour. Very good."

Aido smiled at him, but he returned the gesture with a glare.

_I have nothing to say to you, vampire._

To think he had almost been ensnared by one of those beasts false kindness. Ridiculous! It wouldn't happen again, he would make sure of that.

* * *

><p>"No! I'm not going!"<p>

Kaname sighed, shaking his head as the blonde tried once again to persuade Zero to cooperate. The noble was just lucky the person he was supposed to meet had to reschedule.

Aido tried again, giving the doorknob a twist, only to find it locked. "Zero, please, it will just be a few moments. A very quick examination."

"I said no!"

Kaname sighed, gently pushing Aido away from the door. "Zero, if you do not come out this instant, I am going to come in there and drag you out, do you understand?"

"I'm not leaving, pureblood!"

Kaname glared, pressing two fingers against the door and watching as he blew inward, tearing from it hinges and falling to the ground. Zero, who had been sitting on his bed, jumped up and stared at him in shock.

"Did you think I was bluffing?" Kaname growled, stalking towards the young boy with fire in his chocolate eyes.

"Kind of…" Zero mumbled, stepping away from Kaname and glancing every few seconds at the door.

"Don't even think about it. You won't get anywhere at all."

Zero didn't heed his advice, and instead he bolted for the door, sliding out and ducking under Aido's arms as the noble grabbed at him. Kaname dashed down the hall with vampire speed and easily caught him, throwing him over one shoulder and walking towards the medical wing. Aido followed somewhat closely behind, watching with a sympathetic expression and Zero proceeded to throw a tantrum over Kaname's shoulder, demanding he be put down immediately.

"Stupid pureblood, stop manhandling me!"

Kaname chuckled softly. "Why?"

"Because I said so! Put me _down_!"

"I don't like your attitude." Kaname's face remained deadpan as he walked through the sewer ways, his arm tightly wound around Zero's waist and legs.

Zero let out a frustrated shout, punching Kaname in the kidney before finally settling down and glaring at the floor.

"I understand you don't like it here and you don't like the people here, but this is where you will be living for quite some time, so you better get used to it."

Kaname smelled the saline and knew the hunter was fighting tears, but in just a moment the tears were gone, suppressed by Zero's stubbornness and willpower alone.

"I hate doctors. They're just freaks who get paid to mess with your junk."

Kaname rolled his eyes, laughing. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, he'll will be messing with your junk for free."

"Great," Zero mumbled.

Aido and Kaname laughed.

He truly wasn't a bad boy, he was just unhappy with his situation, and probably a little scared. That was understandable, though, especially considering his situation and the trauma he had been through.

_Still, he needs to learn some respect. And he _desperately _needs to learn when to give me information!_

Shizuka was still at large, and until she was captured, the Senate could continue running amok and doing whatever it pleased with the nobles and common vampires.

_Perhaps it's time to visit an old friend…_

Kaname pursed his lips as the thought grew and continued into the medical room, still holding the hunter boy over his shoulder.

* * *

><p>Zero's eyes snapped open as an alarm sounded, and he jumped to his feet, stumbling in the pitch black until he found his door, throwing it open. Light flooded in from the halls, and vampires ran in disarray, several black-clad figures moving throughout the hall.<p>

Ducking back into his room, Zero remained silent and focused on the commotion outside. He could sense they were all of vampire hunter descent, but there was something… strange about them. Something off. They weren't normal hunters.

"Kaname-sama!"

Panic struck him at the sound of Aido's voice, and he rushed into the hall, moving between the wild struggles towards the noble's location.

"Aido?"

"Zero, stay in bed!" Aido warned, and his voice was quickly followed by a thud and a shout of pain.

"Aido!" Zero moved fast, ducking between the legs of one of the black men and spotting Aido several feet away, sprawled on the ground with blood spilling down his front.

_Gun wound to the chest… angled inward past his heart… head injury… broken arm…_

The very sight of the mangled vampire urged him on, and within seconds he was next to the blonde, grabbing his hand and trying to pull him to his feet.

"Aido, get up!"

Aido shook his head, pulling Zero down as a sword flew past his head. "I cannot leave Kaname-sama's door. But I want _you _to go back to your room and hide under the bed where it's safe."

"I'm not going to curl under my bed like a child!" Zero exclaimed, anger burning in him at the outlandish suggestion.

"Zero, do it," Aido ordered, throwing out his hand and icing as many of the enemy as he could.

"No! You're wounded and need to hide." Zero put one of Aido's arms over his shoulder and stood up, pulling the blonde with him. "Come on!"

Aido braced himself back against the door, holding Zero close. "Zero, I refuse to leave Kaname-sama when we are being attacked like this."

"If he's so great, why isn't he out here fighting with you?" Zero shouted, grabbing Aido's leather jacket and pulling hard. "He's a pureblood, he can take care of himself! Let's go!"

Aido grabbed a fallen sword and jerked Zero's body forward, slicing just over Zero's head and striking and enemy that had come up behind him. "Kaname-sama is in there because that is how they got in and that is where they are continuing to pour through. He can take care of himself, yes, but we are a family here and we do not abandon each other. Now go to bed!" Aido raised his voice, quickly getting angry with his charge.

"Can't I have a weapon? I want to fight!" Zero ducked down as a man came at his head, and he thrust his food into the intruder's groin, sending him to the floor. "I can fight, I just need a weapon."

Aido glanced around and then sighed, pulling a .38 from his jacket and hanging it over. "Be careful with it."

"It's a gun." Zero's voice was dry, though a wicked grin played at his lips.

_Sweet…_

Pulling the weapon up, he aimed and began firing in rapid succession around the room, watching as man after man fell in a shower of blood to the ground. With every corpse that went down, he felt a flood of emotions.

Pride at hitting his mark, guilt at taking a life, relief at being one step closer to the end of a fight, disappointment for the same reason, fear of Aido's reaction when he realized Zero could kill without batting an eyelash, anger for fearing Aido's reaction, the list went on and on.

Again the gunfire sounded, and again and again. Body after body hit the floor, and at the sight of such decrease in opposition, the other vampires gathered their strength and fought harder. Aido moved slightly away from the door, striking down anyone who got past Zero's bullets, but he always returned to the door.

Finally, after what seemed like hours but was really a few minutes, the hall was filled with silence. The bodies were still, the guns and swords quieted, and everyone took a special moment in time not to breathe.

"It's over." Aido was the first to speak, lowering his sword and making quick survey of the damage.

Akatsuki nodded in agreement from where he crouched on the floor, a hand pressed over his stomach as blood soaked through his clothing and dripped through his hand.

"What did they want?" Zero asked quietly, handing the gun back to Aido.

"No clue," Shiki said, kneeling by Akatsuki and taking a quick look at the hole.

"Kaname-sama!" Aido shouted suddenly, turning around and throwing the door open. "Kaname-sama, are you in here?"

Zero followed him in hesitantly, looking around at all the blood and destroyed furniture. "Kaname?" he asked softly.

Aido walked over to a large hole in the wall and sniffed around it, trying to pick up Kaname's scent while Zero walked around the empty chamber, scanning the ground with his eyes.

A soft sparkle caught his attention, and he kneeled down, picking up a silver gun with careful hands.

_It says… Crossing… Bloody—_

His eyes widened, and he shoved the gun into his jacket, glancing for a moment at Aido, who was thoroughly distracted. Looking towards the door, he realized no one was directly outside save Akatsuki and Shiki, and they were both distracted as well. So no one had seen him.

Swallowing his panic, he stood up. "Aido… I don't feel very well, I… I think I'm gonna go back to bed."

Aido nodded to him, still engrossed in finding clues. "Alright, Zero. Go to bed."

"Let…" His voice cracked slightly, and he cleared his throat. "Let me know if you find anything."

Aido turned to him with a smile, having though the crack came from concern with Kaname's well-being. "I will."

"Thanks."

Zero nodded sharply and turned around, running all the way down the hall and to his room. He slammed the door shut and ran to his bed, quickly sliding under the covers and pulling them over his head. Panting, he pulled the gun out and looked at it with wide eyes.

_Why was my gun with the attackers? _

Kaname had gone missing in the very location where this gun had been left. If the others knew… especially because Zero had been so vehement about the safety of his weapon… it would make it look like he had something to do with it.

_I can't let them know…_

He shoved the gun beneath his mattress, making a mental note to get a safety for it as soon as possible.

_I can't…_

* * *

><p><strong>A\N: Please leave a review for moi! *hands out cookies*<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**A\N: Alright! Here we go! Nothing much to say on this chapter, but I hope y'all enjoy and thanks for the reviews! Don't know if I've mentioned it on this story yet, but I have a facebook fanpage where you can get day to day updates, sneak peeks, view fanart, all that jazz. **

**www . facebook increak96  
><strong>

**Check it out, please! ENJOY!  
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* * *

><p>Lavender eyes fluttered open, squinting at the light that streamed through the veil of silver bangs. A quiet moan escaped his lips, and he let his head fall to the side, pain searing through his body. He gasped, clenching his hands around the soft fabric beneath him, eyes opening further.<p>

_Where am I?_

"Hello? Are you alright?"

Slowly, he turned his head to his right, looking up at a tall man with wild chestnut hair and eyes of similar color.

Rubbing his head, he sat up. "Hi… Where are we?"

The man rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not actually sure. I just woke up a few moments ago." The man paused, frowning slightly. "I didn't see them capture you last night. How did you end up here anyways?"

He frowned, cocking his head to one side. "Last night?"

The man nodded, running his hair through his hair. "Yes, last night. We were attacked. Don't tell me you lost your memory, Zero."

His head snapped up at that. "Zero?" he exclaimed, his eyes wide. "You know him?"

The man blinked a few times, and then shook his head. "Now, I'm really confused."

"I'm Zero's twin." He held out his hand. "My name is Ichiru."

The man took it. "Kaname."

Ichiru gasped, staring up in adoration. "You mean… Kuran Kaname?"

Kaname chuckled and nodded his head, sitting down next to him. "The same."

"Wow!" Ichiru's jaw hit his chest. "I can't believe I'm talking to Kaname Kuran! I-I mean Kuran-sama."

Kaname smiled warmly, taking Ichiru's chin and tilting his head back. "Please, just call me Kaname. I have to say, you're much more… civilized than your brother."

Ichiru's face paled slightly, and he felt this overwhelming sense of 'what did he do this time' surge through his mind. "I'm sorry for any problems Zero created."

Kaname laughed. "No, it's fine. He's been through a lot. Odd that he didn't mention you, though… are you two close?"

"Extremely." Ichiru nodded, slightly hurt that Kaname didn't know. Why wouldn't Zero tell them?

"Actually, that may be the reason he didn't mention you." Kaname rubbed his chin. "After all, we're all vampires and with me being a pureblood, perhaps he was trying to keep you safe."

Ichiru stared at his lap where his hands were folded, thumbs twiddling. "Yeah, maybe…"

There was a brief silence, and then Kaname stood. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm not too happy about my current set of circumstances. I'm getting out of here." He began to walk towards the shadows, and Ichiru realized they were in some sort of labyrinth, with tunnels stretching out in three directions from where they sat.

"May I come, Kaname?" Ichiru asked politely, very much aware of the vast power this person had.

"Sure."

Ichiru hopped off the small bed he had been laying on and moved towards Kaname before stopping. He reached back and picked up the blanket, holding it to his nose and inhaling the smell. It was soft, sweet, with a very faint scent of cherry blossoms.

It smelled like that woman.

_She left a blanket for me… she's so kind._

"Ichiru, are you coming?"

Ichiru jerked and folded the blanket quickly, carrying it with him as he followed Kaname. "Yes!"

Kaname glanced over his shoulder, grabbing a torch from a nearby wall and walking further into the darkness.

"You're bringing the blanket?" he questioned.

Ichiru shrugged. "Never know when you'll need one. If it gets cold, or it we need a tourniquet or bandage. It's white, maybe once we get out, we can signal someone."

"Smart thinking." Kaname nodded and sped up slightly. "Let's get out of here!"

Ichiru followed him, hugging the blanket to his chest and breathing in the aroma once more.

_Shizuka-sama…_

* * *

><p>"Zero, it's time to get up!"<p>

Zero's eyes fluttered open, and he groaned, sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes. "What is it?" he snapped, freezing when his hand came in contact with the Bloody Rose.

"We're going to look for Kaname-sama, and you can't be here alone."

Zero jumped up, pulling pants on over his boxers and grabbing a shirt from the floor. "I'm coming, give me two minutes!" he said quickly, grabbing a jacket from off of the lamp and throwing it on. Glancing inside, he saw a pocket. He looked at the Bloody Rose. And then back at the jacket. And then back at the Bloody Rose.

"Zero! Come on!"

Zero grabbed the gun and shoved it into his jacket, fastening the chain and tucking it into his shirt.

_Not very secure… I'm going to have to find a holster somewhere._

Throwing on his sneakers, he jerked the door open, running towards the weapons room. "I gotta get something! I'll be right back!"

Aido, dressed lazily in black jeans and a blue t-shirt, watched him leave. "Uh… okay?"

Zero ran faster, rounding the corner and sliding in the sewage. It took a few moments, but the weapons hall was pretty close and within ten minutes, he had a shoulder holster on and the Bloody Rose—along with a .45—tucked away beneath his coat.

Running back, he found Aido waiting for him, a slightly confused but pleased expression on his face. "You aren't, by any chance, concerned for Kaname, are you?"

Zero gaped, deciding to play it up. "Wh-what? What on earth would make you think a stupid thing like that?"

Aido smiled, turning towards the end of the hall. "I see. Ladder's up ahead. You may need these." Aido walked ahead, holding out a pair of sunglasses.

Zero took them, frowning. "Why?"

"You haven't been to the surface in a good week or so. Even though we have lighting down here, it's nothing like the stuff on the topside. Your eyes will take a little while to adjust." Aido shrugged his shoulders, exiting the Dorm Wing and grabbing one of the runs mounted on the wall. "Plus, they make you look cool." He slipped on a pair of his own and clicked his tongue, climbing up to the manhole cover.

Zero followed him quickly, slipping more than once on the wet ladder.

"Y'okay down there?" Aido asked, and Zero could see him grabbing the metal plate.

"Yeah."

Aido let go with both hands, his feet hooked into the bars so he couldn't fall, and with a soft grunt, he threw the lid off, poking his head up and looking around. "Coast is clear," he called, climbing out and grabbing the cover.

Zero got out and stood up, squinting slightly despite the glasses as he looked around at the world before him. It was so… different up here. So bright and big. The sun shining, the birds singing, the sound of a busy street in the distance… tall buildings and streetlights and clean air. The colors so bright and different from the grayscale below. Red bricks, yellow daffodils, green grass, pink tulips, white sheets hanging up to dry, blue sky, brown earth, black pavement—even the orange traffic cones were a sight for sore eyes!

"Zero, focus."

Zero jumped as Aido grabbed his arm, pulling him into a nearby alley. "That street won't stay empty for long, and we have to find Kaname-sama." He glanced around once more and then put his duffle bag on the floor.

"When did you get that?" Zero asked, leaning down to take a peek at the contents.

"You're really frazzled, aren't you? I've had it the whole time." Aido gave him a soft smile, a twinge of worry in his turquoise eyes.

Zero just shrugged. "Didn't sleep well."

Aido just nodded, pulling out a few small devices that looked a bit like head and ear pieces. Aido secured one over his head and brought the small microphone to his mouth. "Akatsuki, can you hear me?" He waited a moment and nodded. "Alright."

Zero picked up the other one and examined it before placing it on his head and tapping the speaker. He didn't hear anything and frowned, doing it again.

Aido winced and grabbed his hand, laughing. "You won't hear yourself, stupid, there's no feedback!"

Zero rolled his eyes and adjusted the headphone a bit.

"Speak into it to test the connection."

"Uh… Akatsuki, you there?"

"I'm here, kiddo. Can you hear me?"

Zero nodded, and then remembered he had to speak. "Yeah, I can."

"Good, and can you hear Hanabusa?"

Aido spoke into his mic, still keeping an eye on the road. "Testing, testing, one two three. Alley to Zero, come in Zero. Over."

Zero laughed, rolling his eyes. "Unfortunately, yes I can hear him."

Akatsuki chuckled. "It's a burden we all bear."

The two exchanged a laugh while Aido fumed, and then it was all business.

"Kaname was last seen a few miles north of the 257 Exit. Aido, you and Zero need to get there and search for clues. Radio me when you arrive. Over."

"Got it, Akatsuki. Over and out." Aido nodded and pulled on a sweat jacket, throwing the hood up so it concealed the headset. He grabbed his back again and pulled out a single headphone.

"Now," he said, attaching it to Zero's headset, "This is a dud and no sound will come out of it, but it makes it look like you're listening to music. Tuck the mic behind your ear."

Zero did as he was told, and the two of them stepped out onto the street.

_Now what? Aido thinks I'm loyal to Kaname, they don't know I have the gun, and I'm helping to find the stupid pureblood I don't even want to be around, all the while trying to get away from these stupid vampires! What do I do?_

Zero ducked his head and watched his feet as they made their repetitive patterns on the sidewalk, his eyes glazing over slightly as he slipped off into his own little world.

_They really aren't that bad, but… this isn't where I belong. I need to find Ichiru, I need to return to Master to train, and I need to get back to my job as a Vampire Hunter. It's nothing personal, really…_

* * *

><p>Akatsuki frowned, staring at the computer screen intently as Zero and Aido made their way towards the 257 Exit. His brow furrowed, a scowl contorting his features as he watched.<p>

"What's your problem?" Shiki asked, clicking and typing as a design for a new gun style slowly began to form on the screen.

"Nice creativity. And I love the shape of the barrel," Akatsuki looked down at the keyboard, typing randomly and avoiding eye contact.

"Nice change of subject." Shiki paused for a moment, glancing at him. "Seriously, I haven't seen you so solemn since the day we all got kicked out of power. What's eating you?"

"It's that boy." Akatsuki leaned back in his chair, looking around the room to make sure they were alone. "I just… I He's a good kid, but he's so temperamental, and he hates Kaname, and most definitely hates the rest of us. He took a gun and a holster out of the weapons room today without permission…"

Shiki shrugged his shoulders, his voice a monotone. "He was turned by Shizuka and his family is dead. He's very distrustful, and he's hurting."

Akatsuki sighed, rubbing his face. "And I understand that, but I can't allow my younger cousin to be in danger just because he's naïve and doesn't see what I see."

Shiki was silent for a few moments, returning to his computer as the sounds of clicking and tapping filled the room. Akatsuki watched them moving, mentally creating routes and writing up some notes on what to do later along with a grocery list.

"Give him time. He'll come around."

Akatsuki frowned. "And if he doesn't…?"

Shiki was quiet for a moment. "He'll have to. He has no choice."

Akatsuki's expression slid from frustrated to confused. "What?"

A newspaper smacked him in the face, and he picked it up, scanning the headline. "Hunter's Association Disowns Kiryuu Clan? But why?"

Shiki shrugged again. "Beats me. They're being really sketchy on the details, but I've been watching their databases ever since we hacked them, and the Kiryuu name is gone from the books."

Akatsuki nodded slowly. "So, if Zero can't return to the H.A., then he really is stuck with us. Unless he goes out on his own…"

"Which he won't be able to do. If he's alone with no one to watch his bloodlust, he'll instantly be put on the list and executed." Shiki yawned, sticking a piece of pocky in his mouth. "Anyways, I'm going to take a quick break. Call me if anything happens."

Akatsuki nodded slowly, looking back down at the paper in his hands.

_The kid really is on his own._

Akatsuki glanced up at the screen and saw they had neared the destination. Putting his headset on, he pulled up a few statistics and maps, ready for the real work to begin.

_Someone has to be there for him. It might as well be us… I'll back Aido on this. But it doesn't mean I won't be watching Zero closely._

"Akatsuki, we're here." Aido's voice came through the radio.

"Alright. Here's what you need to do…"

* * *

><p>Zero listened to Aido and Akatsuki converse, his mind wandering as he made his way around Exit 257 and looked for clues. Blood, torn fabric, dropped clothing, weapons, or even a piece of hair.<p>

Zero's eye caught a soft shimmer in the grass, and he moved towards it, kneeling down and inspecting the area. The shine had come from a small razor blade lying in the grass, and Zero picked it up, examining it.

"Hey, you guys," he interrupted their conversation—or was it a fight now?—and held the blade in his hands. "I found a razor blade. It's not bloody, but it was in a puddle of something. Looks like water. Any idea what it could be?"

Aido walked over to him and looked over his shoulder. "Doesn't look like anything to me. Lots of people come through here, so it wouldn't surprise me if it just fell out of a bag or a suitcase."

Zero gave a sharp nod. "Okay. Continue your… whatever that was."

"It was a fight."

"It was a disagreement."

"A fight."

"An argument."

"Fight."

"Negotiation!"

The two quickly got stuck in their own little world, and Zero rolled his eyes.

_Still wonder what this wet stuff is…_

Grinning slightly, he began to trace his name in his arm, dipping the razor blade back into the wetness before continuing.

_Kiryuu Zero, Vampire Hunter_

He shoved the blade into his pocket, rubbing the substance off on his pant legs. "Come on, Aido, let's just keep moving."

Akatsuki's voice crackled through his headphone. "He's right, Hanabusa. You guys need to keep heading north."

"Alright," Aido said, following Zero down the dirt path before them.

"Look for any clues, and makes notes about everything—even the razor."

"Got it." They replied simultaneously and continued down the trail.

Zero frowned as they walked, glancing at Aido before rubbing his arm where his name had been written. A slow throb was setting in, perfectly in rhythm with his heart, and a tingling sensation was spreading over the surface of his skin.

_Maybe that wasn't water…_

But he kept walking and remained silent.

"Hurry up, Zero!" Aido called, and Zero realized he had quickly gone from 'lead' to 'falling behind'.

"Coming!"

He picked up speed, trying to ignore now painful burn searing up his arm.

* * *

><p><strong>A\N: Silly Zero, why you touchie the bad stuff?<br>**

**Zero: *chibi face* I'm sowwy... Pwease weview? I will get cookies if you weview!  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**A\N: Wow! It's really starting to come together... I actually have the rest planned out, I just have to write it. Same with 'The Vacation'! I can't give a chapter estimate yet though. I'll have to wait and see how it pans out...****  
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**Mentions were in Chapter 4, so I'm gonna wait until next time to do them. ENJOY! :)  
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**I don't own anything!  
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* * *

><p>"Do you see the church?"<p>

Zero glanced at Aido, listening to the cousins' conversation without really having any input. He was tired, hungry, sick of walking around, and frustrated with the entire situation.

"Yeah, we're on the doorstep now."

"Look for clues. Blood, namely. A young girl, age thirteen, was found here last night covered in blood. She says she fell down a hill and passed out, but there's evidence against it."

Aido nodded and motioned for Zero to follow him into the structure. "Okay, I gotcha."

"Zero," Akatsuki's voice came through the headset again. "You look around the right side of the building, and Aido, check out the left."

Zero nodded while Aido replied and started walking towards his designated search area. Nothing notable, really. Bibles, hymnals, padded pews, stain glass windows… a beautiful sight, but doing absolutely nothing to aid their search.

_Hmm…_

Zero got down on the ground and crawled between the pews and aisle ways, looking around for any sort of clues. Or better yet, a door. A hidden door would probably lead them right to the culprits, rather than some wild goose chase.

"All I see is carpet," he said dryly.

"Keep looking, Zero."

The command wasn't harsh—actually, it was more on the pleading side—but for some reason it irritated him. And his arm wouldn't stop burning. Glancing towards Aido's section and seeing the vampire had disappeared down the hall, he pulled up his sleeve and rubbed the bright red skin, blowing on it occasionally to try and cool the sting.

"You okay, kid?"

Zero mentally cursed himself, sliding the blows into soft pants. "Uh, yeah, just getting a little hot."

"Take a rest whenever you need."

Zero nodded, crawling out from the benches and moving towards the hall on his side. "Yeah, thanks, I will."

Clutching his arm to his stomach, he moved down the corridor, inspecting the carpets, walls, windows, decorations, anything and everything for a sign of conflict, or at least a vampire's presence.

"Akatsuki, I found Kaname-sama's pocket watch!"

"Good!" Akatsuki replied.

Gritting his teeth to block out the pain, Zero replied, "Should I go with him?"

"No, let's not give up on that side yet. For all we know, the watch was a ploy."

"Okay." Zero moved down the hall, eyes widening as his throat closed up, making it difficult to breathe. He coughed slightly, hoping to clear it, but it only seemed to make it worse.

_I can't keep making weird noises, or they're going to know something's wrong._

Shaking it off, he continued his hunt, finding a few shards of glass outside a closet and reporting it.

"Keep making notes," was all Akatuski said, and Zero could hear a keyboard clicking in the background.

For quite some time this went on, but no finds like the pocket watch showed up again. A scratch here, a dent there, more broken glass, some disturbed dust, but who was to say it wasn't rats or alley cats or even a dog?

"Akatsuki…" Zero winced, his throat raw and voice more hoarse than he recalled. "I'm really tired."

"I know, Zero. Just a few more moments, please. Ruka's making a big pot of soup, and you'll get the first dish, okay? Just hang in there."

Zero stopped, rubbing his tummy. "Mm... So worth the wait."

Akatsuki chuckled. "Yes, yes it is."

Zero allowed a smile to grace his lips, despite how beaten down and sick he felt, but it was gone in a matter of seconds, contorted by the cough that racked his body. He rubbed his throat, slightly scared by the hard, swollen flesh beneath his fingers.

"Aido? Do you have any water with you?"

"Yeah. Are you alright?"

"I… I think so... Just dehydrated." Zero rubbed his eyes as they began to burn, his fear escalating as he started back towards the main sanctuary. His throat tightened more, and a burning thirst like he had never known swept over his body.

He burst into a run, stumbling more than once, and clambered down the hall, through the sanctuary, and in Aido's direction.

"Zero, what's that noise?" Akatsuki asked.

Even the soft tone of the vampire voice hurt his ears, and the headset hit the floor.

"Zero? Zero!"

Zero coughed violently, gasping and retching as he dashed towards the blonde vampire in the distance. Aido turned to him, worry creasing his brow. Zero vision blurred, his head throbbed, his heart pounded.

_What's going on? What am I doing?!  
><em>

"Zero, what's wro—"

"Hanabusa!" Akatsuki's voice screamed through the headphones.

Zero lunged, tackling Aido to the ground and sinking his fangs in deep.

* * *

><p>Akatsuki stood up, slamming his hands on the keyboard connection was lost. Switching his channel, he ran out of the room. "Ruka, I need you!"<p>

There was a slight pause, and then her voice came through. "What's wrong?"

"Just meet me by Exit N17!"

"Roger."

He turned off the device, letting it dangle around his neck as he ran, splashing through the sewage at lightning fast speed, waves flying up behind him. He saw the ladder in the distance and scaled it in moments, throwing the lid off and climbing out before slamming it shut.

"What's the emergency?"

Akatsuki jumped and whirled around to see Ruka standing there, armed and ready to go.

"How did you…?" He shook his head. "Nevermind! Something's wrong with Zero, and I think Hanabusa's in trouble."

Ruka gave a sharp nod and without another word started in the direction of the church. Akatsuki followed here, both of them picking up speed and utilizing their vampire abilities to their fullest extent.

"What happens if the Senate senses us using our powers above ground?"

Akatsuki bit his lip. In his panic, he hadn't taken the time to think about the Senate. "Uh, well…"

"Should we slow down?"

He shook his head firmly. "No. My gut tells me this is bad. If the Senate finds us… well… it finds us."

Ruka watched him for a moment, dodging a tree and falling in step beside him. He looked back at her, fearing he had perhaps made her upset somehow. But after a few more seconds, she nodded.

"Understood."

Akatsuki smiled slightly, and the two of them ran faster, almost at the edge of town, a hill the only thing between city and countryside. Divots flying up behind them, they cleared the rise, and Akatsuki pulled his headset back on.

"Shiki, we're on our way to the church. Connect me with Ichijo and keep trying to contact Hanabusa."

"Roger."

Akatsuki slipped out of the way of a tree, travelling into the dense forests.

_Hanabusa… you better be okay._

* * *

><p>Aido gasped for air, pushing on Zero's chest as best as he could, blood soaking his shirt. Pain seared through his shoulder and arm, the anti-vampire bullet lodged deep in his skin. Gritting his teeth, he tried to put a leg between them so he could kick Zero off, but every little movement was excruciating, and he collapsed after two attempts.<p>

"Z-Zero!"

Zero either didn't hear him or didn't care, because the blood continued to flow away from Aido's head and panic began to set in. Black spots floated across his vision and he struggled to inhale, dragging heavy air into his lungs.

_Wait a minute!_

Suddenly, hope sparked in his turquoise eyes and he slowly, painfully slid his hand into his pocket, grasping the small remote Kaname had given him. Fumbling with the buttons and trying to work it with one hand, he eventually got the desired result.

Zero screamed in pain, releasing his throat and stumbling back with his hands clamped on his head. He curled up on the floor, writhing in agony as Aido tried to catch his breath and get to his feet.

"I'm sorry—Zero," he panted, pulling himself up the wall and leaning against it for support. "But you have to stop."

He let up on the intensity slightly, but Zero was still on the floor when he moved towards the crushed headset, picking it up and trying to get a signal.

_Great. Stranded with a bloodthirsty teenager in the middle of nowhere with no way of contacting the Home._

Aido glanced back over to Zero, watching the tears fall from his eyes, and his chest began to ache. Swallowing, he looked down at the device in his hands, lowering it once more and watching him closely.

Zero lay sideways on the ground, sprawled out like a dog on a hot day. His tongue lolled out his mouth, his breath coming in shallow gasps, a few stray tears sliding down his cheeks.

"It's okay, Zero." Aido smiled slightly at him, not knowing what to do. He had to keep the device on until help arrived or until he was strong enough to fight back, but it killed him to see the boy in so much pain. As odd as it was… he had begun to think of Zero as a younger brother of sorts.

He sighed, letting his head fall against the wall. "Kaname-sama… _you_ would know what to do."

* * *

><p>Kaname turned to the young hunter as he coughed again, quickly becoming concerned for the boy's health. He seemed to constantly be coughing and hacking, and anytime Kaname tried to feel his forehead, Ichiru would flinch away and insist he was fine.<p>

_Fine, indeed._

"Ichiru, honestly now, I need to see if you're alright."

Ichiru shook his head, hugging himself and walking past the pureblood out of his reach. "No, I'm okay."

Kaname clenched his fists at his sides, trying not to get frustrated with the boy. But how could he not? They had been walking for hours, probably in circles, and all the boy did was cough and hug that stupid blanket and mumble to himself, all the while saying 'I'm fine', 'I'm okay', and 'don't worry about me'.

"Ichiru, do you remember the fear you displayed when you learned I was a pureblood?" he questioned, walking directly behind the boy.

Ichiru bit his lip, giving a slight nod.

"I need you to show me that fear right now and obey me. It's for your own good, Ichiru."

"Wh-what?"

Ichiru let out a scream as Kaname grabbed him from behind, picking him up and holding him bridal style.

"Put me down, Kaname-sama!"

Kaname sighed, walking down the hall and marveling at how light the human child was. "You're very sick, Ichiru, no matter how many times you deny it."

"B-but—"

"Tell me, Ichiru, did Zero care for you when you were sick?" Kaname didn't honestly care what his answer was, he just wanted the boy to stop struggling so he could get them out.

"Yes… he did…" A sort of endearment came into Ichiru's eyes when he spoke, and Kaname actually stopped to make a note of it.

"You care for you brother?"

Ichiru looked up at him and nodded. "Yes! When Shizuka-sama attacked our family—"

Kaname nearly dropped him. "What? Shizuka?"

"Y…yes…" Ichiru spoke quietly, fear slipping into his voice.

"She was the one who went after your family? Why?" Kaname nodded his head slowly, putting two and two together.

"Well, her fiancée was killed by my parents… who were hunters. She wanted revenge, so she… she killed them and turned Zero."

Kaname continued to nod, his speed increasing. "And what did she do to you?"

Ichiru's eyes widened, and he looked down at his lap, cheeks flushing. Kaname watched him for a moment, and then he got it.

"Oh, I see."

Ichiru said nothing, and Kaname took that moment to think about the recently acquired information. Shizuka was the one who bit Zero, which meant she was bound to him, which mean he had to obey her. She would have known Aido and Akatsuki were searching for her in the area, and the chances of Aido going after the smell of blood were very high. And who would Aido tell immediately? Kaname-sama.

_She planned it so Zero would end up in my care so she could have access to crucial information. Plus, once Aido gets attached to him—if that hasn't already happened—my own right hand man won't be able to take him out. But that begs the question… why did she come for him so soon? Why wouldn't she let there be peace for more than a few days? It doesn't make any sense…_

Kaname cursed softly, shaking his head. Shizuka had really stumped him with this one, and he got the unnerving feeling he was running out of time to draw a conclusion.

Slowing a stop, he took Ichiru under the arms and stood him up in front of him, causing the silver-haired hunter to look at him.

"Ichiru, listen to me: If you know _anything _about Shizuka's plan for us, I need you to tell me. Now."

The orphan looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes, but he clamped his mouth shut and shook his head.

"Do you know something, Ichiru? Tell me that much."

It didn't honestly matter how Ichiru responded. Kaname was a pureblood, and he would be able to tell if he was lying or not.

"I… No."

Kaname sighed, smelling the lie as easy as one smells dropping the boy to the ground and showing the child his back, fingers curling around his chin.

If he let Ichiru off the hook, he was endangering Aido, Akatsuki, Ruka, Shiki… all of them. The only family he'd ever known would be on the line. And what about Zero? Hadn't the poor child been through enough? But if Kaname interrogated Ichiru… Zero would never forgive him. And Aido would be angry at him for upsetting Zero.

"K-Kuran-sama?" Ichiru squeaked out, and Kaname glanced over his shoulder.

The child had gotten a nosebleed from the sudden action, and his lavender eyes, though half-lidded with exhaustion, were terrified.

"I'm sorry, Ichiru."

Kaname extended his hand towards the twin and snapped his fingers, chains coiling around Ichiru's arms and pulling him up, dragging him to the wall and holding him against it. Kaname approached him and grabbed the hem of his shirt, lifting it up and over his head.

Ichiru shuddered as his exposed stomach came in contact with the icy cold stones, a soft whimper escaping his throat.

"Kuran-s-sama…"

Kaname grabbed the part of the shirt he had pulled over his head and placed it in Ichiru's mouth, silencing him. Giving the boy a gentle pat on the back, he explained the situation, keeping his voice as soft as possible.

"Ichiru, I am going to ask you some questions, and for every question you refuse to answer, I will strike you. If you are ready to talk to me make this symbol with your hand." Kaname held up the sign language symbol for the letter 'K'—a peace sign with his thumb between the two fingers—and Ichiru nodded. "If I let you answer and you lie to me, I will give you double the punishment, understand?"

Ichiru nodded again, his back twitching in anticipation of the pain. Kaname thought about it for a moment, and then clenched his fist, a small riding crop appearing in his grasp. He figured it was a stern punishment but not unreasonable.

"Alright, Ichiru, we'll start at the basics. Yes or no questions. Are you down here of your own free will?"

Ichiru did nothing, and Kaname set his jaw, bringing the leather down on the thin, pale skin before him, a bright red strip appearing instantly.

_I'm sorry, Ichiru. I'm sorry, Zero._


	7. Chapter 7

**A\N: So, I don't have a chapter estimate, but I have this thing all planned out from now to the end, and I don't see it taking TOO much longer... four chapter maximum. Thanks for following this far, and please leave a review!**

**_Mentions:_Blackenflames, Seto k4iba1, fluffybunny39, Silvereyedfreak, cybersuzy, AmericanIdiot1, CapriciousUke, and Aniwolfgirl thank you all for reviewing! Also, thanks to all those who faved and followed! **

**Now, onto the story!  
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><p>Akatsuki tilted Zero's head back, shining a light down the swollen throat. He sighed, shaking his head, and turned to the blonde doctor on his right.<p>

"Ichijo?"

Ichijo shrugged, swabbing Zero's arm and handing it off to Shiki. "Find out what that is. Stat."

Shiki nodded and disappeared out the door. Akatsuki checked his watch for the twelfth time, sighing.

"How much longer until the drugs wear off?"

"About ten minutes. Hopefully I can be done before then, and we won't have to give him another dose." Ichijo check his pulse and then check his eyes. "Dilated." He quickly moved back up to Zero's head, feeling the lymph nodes in his neck. He moved back down and slipped his fingers into Zero's waistband, feeling the swelling there as well.

"Zero, I have to take a quick peek, okay?"

But Zero was both drugged and paralyzed, making a response impossible. Ichijo went ahead anyways, looking into Zero's pants and nodding. He pressed on Zero's stomach, nodding again before to rushing to yet another part of the body.

_I feel useless just keeping an eye on his throat._

A soft whimper caught his ear, and he jumped, releasing Zero's lower jaw and letting him close his mouth.

"Ichiru," he moaned, and Akatsuki frowned.

_He keeps saying that. Even when we first found him, all he could say was 'Ichiru'…_

"_Aido!" Akatsuki took hold of his cousin's arm and lifted him up, lightly slapping around his face to wake him._

_A gun fired nearby, and Zero let out a scream as he collapsed. Ruka stood over him, hand outstretched and eyes blank._

"_Ruka! Did you shoot him?"_

_Ruka glanced at him, her voice firm. "Quite the opposite."_

_Akatsuki left Aido propped against the wall and approached the fallen Level D. Zero lay flat on his back, screaming in pain, a gun clutched in his left hand. Akatsuki took a deep breath, trying not to terrify the boy any further, and pulled the gun from his grasp._

"_Ichiru! Ichiru!"_

_Zero screamed, thrashing aimlessly, and Akatsuki looked at Ruka for help. She watched him closely, shaking her head at a complete loss of what to do._

"_Ichiru!"_

_Zero choked on the foam swelling in his throat, and he rolled over, coughing onto the ground and still twitching from the intensity of the pain he was in._

"_Do you have the…" Akatsuki glanced at the frantic boy now trying to get to his feet and chose his method of communication carefully. "…T-R-A-N-Q-U-I-L-I-Z-E-R?"_

_Ruka nodded and pulled the weapon from her pocket, aiming it at the delusional boy, a questioning look in her eyes._

"_Do it," he said quietly. "We'll never get him back home if he's like this."_

_She nodded and aimed again, pulling the trigger and watching the purple feathered dart sink into his neck, sending him sprawling to the ground in a matter of seconds. Akatsuki moved over towards him, feeling his pulse and finding it fast and erratic._

"_We better get him to Ichijo. Fast."_

_Ruka nodded and moved to wake Aido up._

_Zero whimpered, clutching Akatsuki's shirt even in unconsciousness. "Ichiru… I'm sorry…"_

Akatsuki sighed, turning away from the boy lying on the table. "You got this, right Ichijo?"

Ichijo nodded cheerfully and continued to work on Zero, while Akatsuki stepped out and turned slightly to the right, looking down at the chair that was stationed there.

"Tell me what happened."

Aido looked up at him with tired, bloodshot eyes, nodding wearily. Akatsuki walked around him, sitting down on the chair to his right.

"Well," Aido started, wincing and rubbing the sore spot on his neck where Zero had torn him open. "I thought everything was fine. I mean, you heard how he was acting on the radio, kinda funny, but nothing super unusual. I wasn't with him, so I couldn't see any body language. I thought he was coming for a drink of water, but when he came around the corner, he was… not right."

Aido stopped, and Akatsuki crossed his arms over his chest. "Explain."

Aido didn't seem to want to say anything. "You'll get mad at me," he mumbled, glaring at the floor.

"What do you mean?" Akatsuki scowled. Aido hadn't… _let _Zero bite him, had he?

"I kinda… well, I guess I knew. Sort of. His eyes were all red and I could see his fangs, but… I thought… I don't know, I guess I didn't think. I just blanked, and I wanted to believe I was just seeing things." Aido slumped his shoulders, glancing up at Akatsuki very briefly. "I should have acted faster. Maybe I could've stopped him…"

Akatsuki sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose for the tenth time that day. What now? Aido could have stopped him, but he didn't. But Zero lost control, and if Aido had _not _seen the signs, he wouldn't have known to stop him. It was both of their faults… but Zero was going to hate himself enough when he woke up. And Aido obviously was convinced he was about to get reamed…

_This would be so much easier if the gang leader was around to help. I have no clue what to do._

"Look, I'll work out some sort of… discipline… thing… for you two later. For right now, I want you to rest up and recover, and I'm going to stick around here until Zero wakes up."

Aido looked at the door, a sad and somewhat fearful expression on his face.

"Aido. Ruka's in the kitchen. Go eat."

There was a threat beneath the soft words, and Aido heard it. Getting to his feet, he nodded and began walking towards the exit. "By the way…" he muttered, stopping for a second to think. "I don't think that church was the right place to look. I didn't see anything."

Akatsuki nodded, and Aido walked out, leaving the noble alone with his thoughts and the silence.

* * *

><p>"I'll ask you once more what you know of Shizuka's plan."<p>

Kaname waited a brief second for a reply, and where there oh-so-unsurprisingly wasn't one, he brought the crop down on Ichiru's backside, flecks of red hitting the stones as blood flew from the child's back.

Kaname paused in the interrogation to take in the boy's situation, shaking his head as he did so.

Ichiru had been utterly unresponsive as far as questions were concerned, doing nothing but crying and struggling from the start. Kaname had started off at what he considered a fair and light punishment, not wanting to cause the boy harm, but an hour later, Ichiru stood before him half naked, bright red stripes coloring his back, bottom, and thighs.

"Ichiru…" Kaname approached him quietly, the child's whimper ringing in his sensitive ears. "Please, just cooperate. I've interrogated your brother, now I'm interrogating you. Do you have any idea how hard it is to thrash a little boy for being confused? It's terrible! I hate being the bad guy, and Zero has caused enough problems in that department." Kaname felt his composure slip just slightly, and he regained it, taking a deep breath and speaking in a soft, calm tone of voice. "Ichiru, tell me what you know of Shizuka's plan."

Ichiru didn't move for several moments, and then slowly, his head began to tilt in Kaname's direction. He stared up at the pureblood imploringly, lavender eyes filled with tears, silently screaming, 'please don't make me do this.'

"Ichiru." Kaname kept his tone smooth, but there was an authority there that he had refrained from using before. A pureblood's authority.

The silver-haired boy let his head fall against the wall, tears streaming down his cheeks, his fingers forming the sign Kaname had directed him to use over an hour and a half ago.

"Thank you."

Kaname tenderly removed the gag from the boy's mouth and released his chains, turning him around and holding him at an arm's length, eyes searching his face for any signs of betrayal or deceit.

"Now talk," he commanded, giving him a slight shake to remind him why the pain had stopped.

"W-well, I think you figured out most of it, but… but Shizuka knows exactly where you are right now. And she's waiting for you to get out so she can follow you back to the sewers. She sent me down here because she thought I could keep you busy while she got a whole band of Level Es from the Hunter's Association together. She wanted to have an army of sorts when she attacked you…"

Kaname nodded to himself. "Which is why Kaien supposedly had to reschedule our meeting. And that's why you have a blanket with you—she wanted to make sure you were comfortable."

Ichiru blushed and nodded. "She's so kind…"

"Finish talking about her scheme."

Ichiru jumped. "Uh, r-right… well, after she got Kaien out of the way, she came to get Zero and you. She knew Aido was already attached to Zero, and you were tired from dealing with him, so it was the perfect time. Unfortunately, the soldiers she sent out weren't able to get Zero—just you."

Kaname nodded to himself, feeling a slightly anxious gnaw at his stomach. "Just get to the part of the plan where she attacks!"

Ichiru looked surprised. "There… really isn't a plan. Everything's in motion at this point. You get out, she follows you, the army destroys you all. Kaien is missing, Zero is probably going wild with hunger, seeing as she drugged him while they were out looking for you. The two hunters who would be the best of help are gone."

Kaname stopped for a moment, trying to pull together a plan in his head. There had to be something he could do to retaliate, right?

"Ichiru… don't you feel any remorse? Watching your brother be turned and drugged…? Ending the lives of hundreds of vampires?"

Ichiru looked at the ground for a few moments, and then raised his gaze, eyes cold. "No."

Kaname looked down, slowly releasing the boy and nodding dejectedly. "Oh, I see…"

Shadows flew from the purebloods feet, twisting around the boy in question and fastening him to the wall. Ichiru yelped on contact, wriggling like a madman as the darkness faded into solid metal.

"Ichiru, you have shown yourself someone not to be trusted. Thank you for your help, though."

Ichiru grit his teeth, glaring at Kaname between the bars. "What are you going to do about it? You can't go to them!"

Kaname smirked over his shoulder, beginning his trek down the tunnel. "You made a couple of mistakes, Kiryuu-kun. First of all, if she's 'waiting for me to get out so she can follow me back to the sewers' she already knows where I am. Second of all, she already attacked me in my very own bedroom. I have nothing to worry about as far as giving away our location, because that knowledge is already compromised. You make a few more errors, but for a first-timer, you have my congratulations. I'll see you again."

With those final words of farewell, Kaname disappeared. His vampire speed carried him through the halls and corridors, sniffing every inch of the labyrinth until he smelled clear, evening air.

"Bingo…"

He sped up a little more and soon came to metal wall. Running up to it, he placed his hands on the surface and pushed a little, grinning went he felt it dent beneath his hands. Taking a few steps back, he gathered a small amount of power and threw his hand forward, watching as the wall crumpled up like a ball before breaking apart and falling to the ground.

"Your other mistake, Ichiru, was a shameful one. You forgot to mention a hunter on the list of those who would be a worthy adversary of Shizuka."

Kaname would have to wait until he was back underground to make the call, but he had just the person in mind.

_Toga Yagari._

* * *

><p>"Akatsuki! Akatsuki, come on! Let me out!"<p>

Akatsuki glanced at the doorway, listening to the young hunter banging on the plexiglass with a vehemence that surpassed his twelve years. He didn't sound angry, though. Just upset.

"I'm sorry, Zero, but until we figure out what that drug was, you are quarantined."

Zero put his ear to the glass. "What?"

Akatsuki let out a sigh and walked over to the speaker, holding down the green button and repeating himself. "I'm sorry, Zero, but until we figure out what that drug was, you are quarantined."

Zero slammed his fists into the glass one last time and then turned around, throwing his back against the wall and sliding down to the floor.

Akatsuki hesitated before pressing the intercom again. "Zero, this may not be the best time… but I'm confused about something, and I think you can help."

Zero let his head rest on his knees, shoulders jerking in a brief shrug.

"The Kiryuu family was disowned by the Association and deleted from the records on the same night you were taken to the hospital. Why?"

Zero swallowed hard, fiddling with his fraying shoestring. Akatsuki released the button so he could hear Zero's reply, assuming there was one.

"It was Ichiru."

Akatsuki's eyebrows show up, but he said nothing. _The boy he was calling out to in his sleep?_

"He's my twin brother—younger twin, that is—and he betrayed the family. He befriended a pureblood and gave away vital information. It was Shizuka Hio. She attacked and killed my parents, and I…"

He trailed off, his voice catching in his throat. Akatsuki looked left and right down the halls, knowing he was going to regret this next move.

He opened the door and slid inside of the quarantine room, walking over to the adolescent on the floor and standing in front of him. Several moments of silence passed between them, stretching out for quite some time before Zero raised his eyes to meet Akatsuki's, tears fighting his eyelids for release, teetering just over the rim.

"Why did he betray me?" he whispered, trying hard not to sniff. "What did I ever do to him?"

Akatsuki pursed his lips, unsure of what to say. Other than that one moment when Zero was utterly delusional, Akatsuki had never seen the boy come close to any emotion but anger. To see him on the verge of tears was… unsettling, to say the least.

"I don't know, Kiryuu… I wish I had an answer for you." He got down on his knees and seized Zero's chin, tilted his head back just a little more. "I do know this, though: Everyone down here would not think even for a moment of betraying you."

Zero smiled slightly and nodded. "Yeah… I know. I really should be dead by now." He shook his head, ducking it back down again. "I can't believe I bit Aido."

Akatsuki chuckled softly, turning around and sitting down beside him. "Me neither. You guys really hit it off."

Zero laughed lightly. "Literally. What with me shoving my knee into his nose and stuff."

Akatuski laughed along, resting his hand in the young vampire's hair. "According to Kaname, that was pretty great. Funny, too."

Zero continued to toy with his laces, a light smile playing at his lips. "Thanks, Akatsuki. You know… for… everything. Ruka's food, Shiki's science, Ichijo's medical help, you and Aido and Kaname and—just everyone. Everyone has been amazing." He then flushed bright red and cleared his throat. "I mean, you know, for vampires."

Akatsuki grinned, standing up and dusting off his black jeans. "You know, you're not half bad yourself. For a level D hunter."

Akatsuki smiled to himself, walking out of the room and down the hall towards the kitchen.

_Now what? We're out of leads for Kaname, and yeah Zero shared what he knew. Shizuka attacked him and took Ichiru, and he knows nothing more than that. It would be much more helpful if we could get our hands on the other twin, but that could take years. I wouldn't even know where to start._

Letting out a sigh, he began to roll up his sleeves.

_Better get some coffee. It's going to be a long night._


	8. Chapter 8

**A\N: PLEASE READ THIS AUTHOR'S NOTE! ****A couple of things I want to address.  
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**1) I think the next chapter will be the last. And then maybe I'll have a short little epilogue to tie things up nicely. Never expected this story to go on so long anyways... so it's coming to a close!  
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**2) Normally I'm not a stickler about reviews, but I haven't gotten a single review since Chapter 5. This is chapter 8. Is anyone even reading this anymore? I understand not everyone has time to review, and that's fine, but could you please post a quick 'I'm still here!' so I know I'm not wasting my time? If I don't get any reviews this time around, I'll either discontinue it or take a longer time to update. Sorry, but stories that get reviews have priorities over ones that don't. That's how it is.  
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**3) Because I have been getting such wonderful amounts of reviews on my other stories, I had to disable my PM because it was taking up too much of my time, especially since the school year started. This means I will not be able to reply to reviews... I'm sorry! I will continued to do mentions, and know that I read every single review and I appreciate them all!  
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**And that's the end of my little rant. Please enjoy the story! ^^  
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* * *

><p>Akatsuki jumped awake, panicking for a split second before he remembered where he was. He slowly looked down, eyes drifting across the stained desk, papers and documents, pencils, and coffee cup before finally coming to a stop on the face of his watch.<p>

_6:30…? I must have fallen asleep… _

He slowly stood up, cracking his back and neck, stretching a bit to loosen up his muscles before grabbing his cup and moving towards the kitchen.

_I'm going to need something a little stronger if I'm going to stay awake long enough to finish all of this research…_

He reached out to take the doorknob when a soft sound like a plastic bag being crumpled caught his ear. Frowning, he gave the handle a little jiggle, waiting to see if there was a response from inside. The noise continued, but nothing changed.

Fingering the gun at his side, he turned the knob entirely and slowly eased the door inward, slipping the colt from its holster and drawing it out just a little. He saw a shadow move, the edge of a black coat peeking around the edge of the door, and he released the door, placing both hands on the weapon.

He leapt around the corner, aiming to fire, and let out a shout. "Freeze!"

"Huh?" Burgundy eyes met his own hazel ones, and he laughed aloud, holstering the gun instantly.

"Kaname! You're back!" He ran to the leader, embracing him quickly. "What happened to you? How did you escape?"

Kaname grinned, fangs peeking between his lips. "I had a little help."

Akatsuki looked around the kitchen, expecting to see this 'help', but they were alone. He gave Kaname an odd look, tilting his chin just slightly.

Kaname sighed. "Unfortunately, this help was not of the willing kind. I left him behind—it's where he wants to be." He paused, staring at the floor for a few seconds before continuing. "But I have good news. I know what Shizuka is planning, and I have an idea to stop her. First, how's Zero?"

Akatsuki ran his hand over his face, fingers stopping at his temple to rub for just a moment. "He's… quarantined right now. He got into some sort of chemical and went blood crazy. He bit Aido and it took a while after that to calm him down. He seems stable enough, but Shiki hasn't gotten me those reports yet."

The pureblood nodded slowly, a contemplative expression on his face. "I see… Well, all in due time. His twin brother is working with Shizuka."

"Ichiru?" Akatsuki's eyebrows shot up, followed by Kaname's.

"You know?" he asked.

Nodding, Akatsuki put his beverage in the microwave and reheated it. "Yeah, he was very… unsettled. I found out the Kiryuu clan was disowned, and I questioned him on it. Apparently, his brother gave away vital information and had pretty much everything to do with the attack on his family."

Kaname rubbed his chin, eyes drilling holes into the floor. "So it was premeditated… I assumed he joined after Shizuka attacked, but it seems he was ensnared beforehand…" A long stream of air pushed through his lips, hands working their way through his tangled hair. "Zero will… not respond positively to what I have to tell him."

Akatsuki was silent for a moment, and then he decided to throw out the elephant in the room. "You interrogated him, didn't you?"

Kaname chewed on his upper lip, slowly shaking his head. "I had to. We were trapped, we had been wandering for hours, and I thought my family was in danger. I… had a choice to make."

Akatsuki put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "And you made the right one. We're completely clueless. Now that you're here, we'll have some direction. By the way, we have to talk to Zero about that gun."

"Yes, the Bloody Rose…" Kaname nodded absentmindedly and then yawned. "I believe… I'm going to retire."

Akatsuki glanced at his watch, also letting out a yawn. "I'm going to try and finish a few more papers, and then I'm going to go to bed, too."

"I want everyone in the meeting room by… noon. That is to say, everyone who's a leader. We don't need all seven hundred of us in that tiny little room, but you catch my drift."

Akatsuki chuckled softly. "Yup. Zero?"

Kaname gave a sharp nod. "Yes." Yawning, he stepped out of the kitchen. "Good night, Akatsuki. Thank you for watching the family for me."

Akatsuki's eyes widened slightly. "But I didn't—"

"You didn't have to tell me. I already knew." Kaname disappeared into the blackness.

A light smile graced the orange-haired noble's lips. "Yeah. Just doin' my job…" He pulled his coffee from the microwave and moved into the hall, rubbing his eyes.

_Back to work._

* * *

><p>Silver lashes fluttered, light streaming in and rousing the young hunter from his sleep. Silky fingers tickled his face, gentle words pulling him from unconsciousness.<p>

"Zero… Zero, wake up… Zero…"

He groaned quietly, dragging his arm over his eyes and sitting up. He hung his head, every muscle in his body protesting to his movement. He rubbed his eyes again, letting out a heavy sigh.

"You look as tired as I feel." A hand tousled his hair. "Morning, sleepyhead."

Zero growled. "Don't touch me." He had never been a morning person, and he certainly wasn't going to start because some vampire was being nice. He massaged his face and then stood up, looking to the man who had roused him. "What do you wa—Kaname?!"

The pureblood smiled at him, and he felt he had allowed just a little too much eagerness to slip into his voice.

"Oh, you're, uh… you're back. Cool. Whatever. Awesome."

Kaname laughed, standing up and taking Zero by the arm. "Come on, morning breath, let's go get you cleaned up. We're having a meeting in an hour and you still need to eat breakfast and take a shower."

"But I just had one!" Zero protested, pulling lightly on his arm as Kaname dragged him out of quarantine and down the hall.

"When? Last month?"

Zero hung his head. "Last week…" he mumbled.

Once again, Kaname laughed, and the two continued down the hall until they were in Zero's bathroom. Kaname whipped of his shirt, giving him absolutely not time to think and then dropped his pants and underwear, pushing him into the shower and turning on the water.

"Since you're still technically being quarantined, you can't do anything without supervision until those test results come back. But that's not why I'm here. I'm here because I need to talk to you about something."

Zero stumbled over his train of thought, trying to come up with a reply. It was way too early in the morning for his mind to be moving this fast. Way too early.

"Uh, um, okay."

"It was something Akatsuki brought to my attention. A certain weapon of yours?" Kaname blew on his fingernails, seating himself on the lid of the toilet and watching him through the warbled glass.

Zero fidgeted, working the shampoo through his hair and trying not to sound as nervous as he felt. "Uh… can you stop staring at me? It's kinda weird…"

Kaname's eyes didn't move. "That didn't answer my question."

Clearing his throat, Zero tried a different approach. "Oh, I dunno… weapons are weapons… they're lying all over the place. You'd have to be more specific."

An exasperated sigh came from the corner of the room. "Really, Zero? You know what I'm talking about. The Bloody Rose! She was used in the attack against me, and now you have possession of her."

There was a brief moment where every muscle in Zero's body froze, but he managed to continue bathing, sputtering out a sorry excuse for a reply. "I d-don't know what you're… talking about."

A soft yelp escaped the silverette's lips as a hand seized his wrist, pulling him towards the edge of the bathtub where the glass was open just a crack. Cold, crimson eyes burned right through him, Kaname's lips turning down just slightly.

"Zero, do not lie to me."

"But—"

A mild slap to the face shut him up.

"Do not lie to me." Kaname took his chin in his hand, lifting his face. "If you lie to me, I will not be able to trust you. Do you understand?"

Zero nodded, a little frightened at Kaname's sudden change in composure. The pureblood nodded a few times before releasing him and returning to his seat. "Now, tell me about the gun. Tell me what happened."

A few more seconds of dumbstruck silence passed, and then Zero jerked back to life. "What? Oh, yeah. Well… after the attack, I entered your bedroom with Aido, and I saw my gun… and I was worried you guys would think I had something to do with it. I had already talked to Aido and Akatsuki about the whole Bloody Rose thing… and I was… scared I guess." Zero started to wash his body, still uncomfortable with the fact that Kaname was sitting not ten feet away. "I'm sorry."

It was quiet for a moment, and then Kaname's voice floated through the air. "It's alright, Zero. Thank you for being honest with me."

Zero swallowed hard, saying nothing. Kaname also said nothing, and pretty soon the silence became awkward.

"Kaname… can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

Zero heard a pen scrape across a sheet of paper and figured the pureblood had found the crossword puzzles. "Why is lying such… such a big deal?"

The pen—or pencil—scratched a few more letters. "I despise it for many reasons. There is no need for it, it is deceitful, it makes you untrustworthy, it means you have something to hide, it is the sin from which all other sins stem, it is not a mistake but is a conscious thought… the list goes on. I loathe it with every fiber of my being."

Zero's eyes were wide by the end of his eloquent but forceful explanation, and he simply let his head bob in agreement.

A few more minutes passed and then he shut off the water, grabbing a towel and pulling it inside the shower to dry off.

"So, why did you get me up again?"

"We're going to have a bit of a meeting to decide what to do with Shizuka. You should be there. There's… something you need to know."

A sort of sick feeling began to pool in his gut at those words, but he pushed it away. "Does Aido know you're back yet?"

Kaname chuckled, shaking his head as Zero stepped out of the shower. "No, not yet. Just you and Akatsuki."

"Well, that'll be interesting." Zero stepped into his bedroom and grabbed a pair of boxers and jeans.

Kaname laughed again. "Indeed."

* * *

><p>Aido drew his knees up to his chest, fiddling with his shoelace and letting out a heavy sigh as he waited for everyone to come to the meeting room.<p>

_I wonder who's going to lead it…_

He scowled, the creases in his forehead increasing, and he slowly tilted his head back. He let it rest on the wall, staring up at the ceiling light despite the pain.

He hadn't seen Zero since he had been attacked, and he couldn't help all of the anxious thoughts that entered his mind. He knew his cousin wouldn't 'take care of him' or anything like that, but there was no telling the amount of interrogations Zero had gone through, and when it all came down to it, Aido just wanted to hold him and tell him it was okay and that he forgave him.

"It's a meeting, not a funeral."

Aido's head snapped up and he started at Shiki, blinking a few times in an attempt to clear the black spots from his sight. "Huh?"

"You look like your best friend just died."

Aido looked back at the floor. "Well, he was kidnapped. And I can't stop thinking about Zero…"

Lips twitching in a light smile, Shiki tousled his messy blonde hair. "Zero's fine, and I think Kaname will be, too. Just be patient."

Aido nodded wearily and put his head on his knees, staring at the underside of the table where gum wads were gathered.

"_Aido, did you just put gum on that table?"_

"_N-no…" _

"_Aido, do not lie to me. Once more, and I'm going to spank you. Do you understand?"_

"_Y-yes, Kaname-sama!"_

"… _Stop it with the sama."_

Aido smiled lightly to himself, knowing he had never stopped calling Kaname his sama. And he probably never would. It was almost like a nickname now, and had no intentions of giving it up.

Aido's head slowly tilted towards Shiki, and he spied the files in his hand. "Are you leading this meeting?"

Shiki shook his head slowly, saying nothing.  
>"Do you know who is?"<p>

Shiki just shrugged. "Probably Akatsuki."

Aido gave a sharp nod and said nothing.

"But I thought leading meetings was my job."

The blonde noble jumped up, turquoise eyes lighting up at the voice he heard. His heart skipped a beat, that familiar presence having been burned into his mind long ago. He didn't have to look to know who it was.

"Kaname-sama!"

The pureblood standing in the doorway gave him a wide smile. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

Aido ran forwards, throwing his arms around Kaname's neck and hanging on tight. "You're okay! Where were you? Were you hurt? Did they torture you?"

Kaname gently removed his arms, patting his shoulder. "No, I'm fine. I'll tell you all what happened in due time. For now, let's all find seats."

Aido pulled away slightly, but he couldn't find the strength to release Kaname's arms, and the pureblood continued to look at him like he had lost his mind. Aido just stared, turquoise eyes filled with a plethora of conflicting emotions.

"Aido, are you alright?" Kaname brushed his tears away with his thumb. "I'm here now, and Zero is healthy. Everything is right again."

Aido swallowed hard, biting his lip, and soon he found himself hugging Kaname once more, his arms crushing the older man against him. "I can't believe… you're alright…" he whispered, a single tear falling to his collar.

"But I am. I'm right in front of you." Kaname stroked his hair, speaking in comforting, warm tones, and Aido started to relax his hold a little.

"Promise to never leave again." He glared up at his role model—his hero. "It's just not right around here when you're gone."

Kaname's fangs peeked through his lips, a mischievous smile lighting his face. "Now, Aido… you know I can't promise that."

Aido hugged him one last time, laughing softly. "I know. But stay safe." And with that, he released the exiled lord and sat down at his designated seat, motioning for Zero to sit in the chair next to him.

"So, Zero, how are you feeling?"

The silver-haired hunter boy gave him a light smile. "Better than I was."

Aido nodded. "Were they good to you? No interrogations, right?"

Zero shrugged his shoulders. "A few but… it was good."

The blonde's brow creased in confusion, sensing there was much more to that sentence, but before he had a chance to press it, the door opened and about seventeen young vampires walked into the room.

"Are we all here?" Kaname asked, standing at the head of the table and counting under his breath as every vampire took their place. When he was satisfied, he opened the folder on the table before him, clearing his throat. "Before we get anywhere, I must apologize for my absence these past few days." Puzzled silence filled the room, and Kaname continued. "Just kidding, suckers! You gotta put on the big boy pants some time or another!"

The room erupted in laughed, and even Aido, who had been more petrified than anyone at the loss of Kaname, laughed along. He absentmindedly placed a hand over Zero's, knowing the room full of vampires was making him uncomfortable.

"Seriously, though, I wish I could have been here. It's taken quite a bit of coffee to keep me awake long enough to study all the information you've collected. From information I received during my imprisonment along with what you all found in your research, I think we can formulate a plan to take Shizuka down once and for all." Kaname cleared his throat, sifting through a few of the papers before going on. "I tried to get Toga Yagari to assist us, but apparently no one has seen him for the past few days. I can only assume he's with Kaien Cross, wherever that may be."

Zero's body tensed, and Aido looked at him, giving him a comforting smile and mouthing the words, 'don't worry'. Zero rolled his eyes, and Aido held his hand a little tighter, hoping to be of some comfort.

"On our own, we can land a massive blow, and once we are inside her strongholds, we should be able to find and release the hunters they've abducted, and then we will easily outnumber her. From what Ichiru said…"

Zero jerked at that, and his eyes flashed with anger. "What did you just say?"

Kaname looked at him and then cast a brief glance around the table, silently commanding all of the vampires to mind their own business. "Ichiru Kiryuu, your twin brother, is working with Shizuka Hio."

Zero grit his teeth, standing up and slamming his hands on the table. "Then why would he tell you anything?"

Kaname was quiet for a moment, and Aido inwardly groaned.

_Kaname-sama, you didn't!_

_I had to._

_He's going to hate you now!_

Light laughter flitted through his mind. _I'm fairly certain he already does…_

_Kaname-sama!_

"Answer me, Kuran! Answer me now!"

Kaname turned his gaze from Aido to Zero and met his eyes dead on, giving Zero a bit of a stare down before speaking.

"Your brother works for the enemy. I tried to approach the situation peacefully, but in the end, I was forced to interrogate him. I will not apologize."

Zero lunged across the table, letting out a shout and reaching for the pureblood's throat. Kaname easily avoided the attack, and Aido grabbed Zero by the arms, pulling him back off of the table and over towards the door.

"Continue the meeting, Kaname-sama. Akatsuki can fill me in."

Zero continued to struggle and trash until they were out the door. "Kuran, what did you do to him? Did you hurt him? I swear, I'll kill you! You filthy purebl—"

Aido slammed the door, turning around and taking Zero by the shoulders, gripping him tightly. He made deliberate eye contact, remaining as firm as he could with those devastated lilacs staring back at him.

"Zero, listen to me—"

"No! You're in cahoots with him!"

"Zero—"

"How can you stand here and do nothing?"

"Listen to—"

"He hurt my little brother!"

"Zero!" Aido cuffed the boy sharply on the ear, giving his arm a bit of a shake. "Be quiet for just a second and listen to me!"

His shout echoed down the hall, but it served its purpose. Zero was silent.

"Zero, I would bet my life that Kaname didn't want to interrogate your brother. I would bet my life that he only interrogated him as much as he had to. I would bet my life that he hates that you're hurting." Aido paused, taking a deep breath. "And I need you to trust my gambling habits right now. I need you to trust me."

Zero grit his teeth, fists shaking at his side. Aido could smell his blood, his heart shooting the life liquid through his veins as his panic and anger increased.

"He's my brother…" Zero growled out, glaring daggers at the floor. "He's my twin. He's a part of me."

"Zero, please… trust me…"

Zero slowly raised his gaze, and Aido didn't have to hear his answer. He could see it in his eyes.

Aido sighed, closing his eyes as the arm he had been holding jerked out of his grasp, footsteps echoing down the passage. His eyelids drifted upward, and he saw the boy disappearing in the distance.

_Thank you for trusting me, Zero._

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><p><strong>A\N: Please review! Thanks!<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**A\N: Augh. So, I wanted this to be the last chapter, but I had to split it into two. So, the NEXT chapter will be the last chapter, and there will be no epilogue. It'll just all run together in Chapter 10. I hope y'all enjoy, Final Mentions will be in the next chapter.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Hashi-Hashi who actually reviewed within the past three chapters! It means a lot to me, so thank you! This chapter's for you!  
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**Enjoy!  
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><p>"Are you sure we're ready for this, Kaname?"<p>

The brunette pureblood looked up at the soft question, smiling at the blonde vampire kindly. "Ichijo, we've all been preparing for this for years. We knew it was coming."

Ichijo scowled, stirring his coffee absentmindedly. "That doesn't answer the question. Are we ready for this?"

Kaname faltered for a moment, not having an entirely solid answer, and finally, he shrugged. "Who knows? But we've trained. And now we have to put that training to the test. The only way to be certain is to survive it."

Aido leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. "I wonder… how many Level Ds and Es Shizuka has on hand…"

Kaname's fingers hovered over his keyboard, ready to find an answer, but Shiki beat him to it.

"According to the sources we received, she has a whole ton. At least twenty thousand."

Ruka spewed coffee onto the table, eyes widening. "What?! There are only two _hundred _of us!"

Rima drummed her fingers on the table, staring blankly at the wall. "We're outnumbered."

"Wow, Rima. You're some sort of genius, aren't you?" Aido rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.  
>Akatsuki chuckled as his younger cousin dodged a flying knife, shaking his head. "Fight nice, children."<p>

Kaname cleared his throat, getting the room to settle down, and then he pulled up the page of notes he had taken during the meeting. "We may be outnumbered, but numbers aren't everything. I want to draw your attention to a couple facts…"

Kaname clicked open the document and scanned it briefly, organizing his thoughts before speaking again.

"The vampires that live down here are all Level Cs and up, which means they are naturally better at everything—running, climbing, jumping, fighting, learning, etc. They have all been trained in different forms of martials arts and weaponry, and their marksmanship can surpass that of the hunters." Kaname stood up, walking around the table as he continued, every step clearing his mind a little more. "As pureblood, Shizuka and I cancel each other out as far as power is concern, and when it comes down to it… you have a small group of well-trained, intelligent vampires against a large group of blundering idiots with knives." Kaname stopped at the other end of the table, slamming his palms down on the wood. "We are ready for this, of that I am sure. But we will only survive if we deem ourselves ready for this task. If you have any doubt or hesitation in your mind, get rid of it now… or you will be killed in the fight."

Kaname turned to the clock. "We're out of time. She'll be here any minute. We need to get into positions…" Kaname rotated once more, eyes settling on the turquoise-eye mischief maker. "Aido… is Zero ready?"

Aido nodded. "Yes, I think he is."

Kaname gave a sharp nod. "Good. We need him."

* * *

><p>Zero silenced his breathing, holding the gun closer to himself and closing his eyes, recalling to mind everything his sensei had taught him about hunting vampires. How to conceal his scent, how to soften his footsteps, how to confuse them, how to better his aim… All of it. It was crucial now.<p>

_Deep breaths. Just… take deep breaths._

If he read Aido's message correctly, he was supposed to wait until there were at least ten Level Ds or Es in sight, and then he was to open fire, which would signal everyone else to open fire. Which meant, the outcome of the entire battle could very well rest on his trigger finger.

No pressure.

_Ichiru…_

He was going to see Ichiru. At least… from what Kaname said, it sounded like there was a strong possibility. After all, Kaname had… had interrogated him, so…

_Augh._

This whole thing was still not sitting well with him. Kaname, a pureblood and leader of a vampire rebellion, had interrogated Ichiru, Zero's younger twin, and yet Zero was working with him to help him achieve his goal.

_Why did I never hear anything about this 'Kaname' person before? Why did Sensei hide it from me? What didn't he want me to know? Why does Kaname hate Shizuka anyways? And can I really trust any of these people?_

All of these questions continued to nag at his mind, wearing down his concentration. He quickly shook them away, focusing on the forest below.

_Now isn't the time for doubt. The only thing you need to do right now… is kill as many vampires as you can without stopping._

A small branch cracked under the foot of a Level E, and Zero watched him carefully, concealing his scent and aura. Another one joined right behind him, and then two more showed up a little ways off. They were all sniffing the air and looking around cautiously.

_What are they looking for?_

Zero's finger gently pulled on the hammer as three more vampires appeared, a quiet click wafting through the breeze, unheard by the occupants on the ground below. He waited a few more seconds, eyes scanning the forest silently.

_One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine…_

One more, a young red-headed Level D stepped out of the shadows, glancing around nervously. Zero's finger moved from the hammer to the trigger and he leveled his aim at the closest Level E, waiting for the ginger to fully reveal himself.

_Ten._

White flashed over his vision, pain searing through his body, and he felt his chest hit the branch he'd been standing on. Gasping, he gripped his gun and hooked his leg around the branch so he wouldn't fall, making a second attempt at firing.

No such luck. Whoever had initially attacked him flipped his leg off, and he fell to the ground with a painful thud, his body cracking on impact. His backside was torn open, and he smelled the blood right away, hunger burning through his core as the scent worked its way through his nostrils to his brain.

The scent alerted the vampires of his presence, and Zero made one, final, desperate attempt to tell everyone they should attack. He didn't even try to hit a mark. He just wanted to fire.

He grabbed his gun from the ground as a Level E collided with his body, biting at his neck hungrily. Hitting the dirt, he aimed for sky, pulling the trigger and hearing the thunderous echo of gunfire ringing into the night.

Smirking at his brief victory, he brought the gun back down, colliding with the back of the Level Es head sharply. Dust covered his body, and he jumped smoothly to his feet, leveling and firing at the next demon in range.

The pain from the fall had sent the blood rushing to his head, and everything was so clear in his mind now. He could sense everyone, everything. He knew exactly what was going on.

Whirling around, he felled two more Level Ds, grinning madly as he jumped over their corpses and fired again, dropping another beast to the ground.

Tongue flashing over his lips, he tasted blood, trying to sustain himself until he could access some blood tablets. He couldn't surrender to the hunger… not now. If he could keep it at bay, he would be fine, but if he lost his mind… he was going to become a liability quickly.

_Just keep fighting._

Pivoting, he aimed at the tree he had stood upon before, firing thrice into the leaves in the hopes of hitting his attacker. He turned back around and pulled a dagger from his belt and stabbing his next victim in the head and hanging on.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled three throwing knives from his pocket and sent them flying towards more of the enemy. He jerked his knife from the dust falling to the ground, and caught an approaching Level Ds eye before plunging it right into his chest.

A new scent entered his nose, and he froze, finding it unnervingly familiar. It was faint, as though the source were leaving, and the smell was a leftover fragrance. But it was… sweet. Mild. And very similar to Zero's.

_I…Ichiru?_

Zero jerked as pain shot through his neck, four sharp fangs buried in his flesh. He drove his elbow into the sternum of his attacker, forcing the creature to release before whirling around and sending his blade through its heart.

"Ichiru!" he shouted, now certain that it was his brother's blood. "Ichiru, where are you?"

Zero heard a gunshot and looked in the direction of the sound, seeing a swarm of vampires running at him, weaving between the trees at high speed.

_Where is everyone? What's going on?  
><em>For a moment, panic seized him. What if this was a trap? What if no one was coming?

Zero jumped as a cool wind gusted past him, a large mass of vampires freezing while fire struck the ones to his left and lightning coursed through the mob to the right. He turned around, still slightly out of breath, smiling when he saw Kaname and the other vampires standing there.

"Sorry, Zero. There was a miscommunication issue." Kaname gave the signal to attack, and the mass of nobles and common vampires ran into the fray, the pureblood's eyes lingering on the Level D child before him. "Go after him."

Zero stiffened. _So he smells it, too…_

"Go after him and demand the truth."

Zero nodded sharply and turned on his heel, running through the horde and striking down as many as he could while he sniffed out his brother, mind set on one thing and one thing only.

_The truth. No more lies, no more games, no more cover-ups. The truth._

* * *

><p>Kaname effortlessly disintegrated the fallen humans as he walked straight through, his mind tapping into every situation around him, analyzing it.<p>

Ruka was doing something similar to himself, blowing the heads off of vampire after vampire without breaking a sweat. Aido and Akatsuki were freezing and burning the mobs alternatingly, and Rima had an endless amount of electricity flowing through the ground and the trees, striking every body of every being below a Level C rank. Shiki was using his blood whips to their fullest extent, still looking as stoic as ever, and Ichijo was using his sword for the moment, storing his powers for later.

And that didn't include the one hundred and eighty-some other vampires fighting beside them.

_I had every right to be confident. They are ready._

He closed his eyes for just a moment, taking a deep breath and trying to collect his thoughts. How to confront the problem, how to speak to her, how to end her, how to win, whose help to require… so many questions.

_I'm going to have to wing it and see what happens._

Speeding up, he glided between the trees and boulders, making his way back to those tunnels he had escaped from not days before.

Shizuka had to be somewhere around there. Of this, Kaname was confident. She had to be near the place where she was keeping Yagari and Cross, and she had to be near the place she had left the most clues.

_Unless…_

Kaname began to slow, reconsidering his previous statements.

_It's so obvious. Was that, perhaps, on purpose?_

Training his mind once again on his surroundings, he searched the area for Zero and his brother. There was a good chance Ichiru was returning to his master to either receive more orders or tell her how the battle was going.

_Zero, can you hear me?_

There was moment of silence, and then he heard a flustered voice.

_Kuran! You scared the heck outta me, and I tripped!_

The pureblood couldn't help but chuckle softly, and he started running towards the Level Ds location. _I'm sorry, Zero. I wanted to know if you know where he's going?_

_No clue, _Zero was panting hard, and Kaname could only imagine the difficulty he was having.

_Do you think… it's feasible that Ichiru is going to Shizuka?_

There was a moment of silence from the other end, and then finally, _Yes… I think it's possible._

_Alright… I'm going to meet up with you._

_No! _Zero shouted angrily, and Kaname winced.

_Zero, I'm not going to touch Ichiru. I will leave that to you. I'm going to try and determine where he's going by following his patterns, and then I'm going after Shizuka. You won't even see me._

Yet another silence from the sulky pre-teen. _Fine._

Kaname grinned to himself and picked up speed, watching the boy through the trees as he ran, very careful to stay in the shadows where he would not easily be seen.

He took into account their location, and the direction they were running along with the location of the battle, tossing the information around in his mind. He could smell Ichiru's blood, and it made it all the more easy to follow his trail.

_I think… she's at the church? So she really was the reason that girl was murdered… hmm…_

Kaname glanced one final time at the silver-haired hunter, nodding to himself before taking off at an even higher speed, passing the two boys effortlessly and making a clear cut to the abandoned chapel.

He entered into the sanctuary, stopping when he smelled the familiar scent of Aido's blood. It was a weakened, old scent, and Kaname supposed this was where the attack had happened.

_When they were looking for me… _

Kaname realized not for the first time that he was truly blessed to have the family that he did. They may not have been his blood relations… but he wouldn't have traded them for anything. They were dedicated, loyal, true, loving…

…and the fact the Shizuka wanted to hurt these people made him all the more furious.

"I see… you found me."

Kaname turned slightly, looking down the hall to the left. "Of course I did."

She looked at him wordlessly, her eyes speaking volumes of malice and hatred, all of it directed at him. "It took you longer than I expected… then again, you always were slow."

Kaname shrugged his shoulders. "What can a lazy-bum say? When you've been dethroned, you lose your edge."

Shizuka glared at him, fingers curling around the hilt of a knife, hurtling it at him in blind rage. "You never deserved that throne in the first place! It was that stupid woman you loved who became the parent! She's the reason he's dead!"

Kaname sighed at her little outburst, tiredly removing the knife from his forehead, dull pain fading into nothingness as he smirked. "Oh, yes, him… you're lover. The one who was removed by the Kiryuu clan. You're hatred… it doesn't start there, does it?"

Shizuka's calm and collected composure returned almost instantly, and she straightened up, staring icily at him. "How should I know? Hatred is… not entirely rational, is it?"

"Hatred is an emotion. The most self-destructive of them all." Kaname fingered the sword at his hip, not quite ready to end her. "I need more information before I put you out of your misery. I need to know three things. First, why did you turn Zero?"

She smiled at that, a cruel glint in her eyes. "To watch him suffer and squirm and struggle until the day he dies."

Kaname gave a sharp nod. "Second, why did you keep Ichiru?"

"He's useful." She took a step towards Kaname, ready to commence their battle any second. "He's infatuated with me and does everything I ask without question. He loves me enough to betray his own brother. His own parents. There are few things more useful than a blind servant."

Kaname felt his chest burning at that, anger coursing through his veins. "One final thing…" His fingers curled around his weapon as she stopped directly across from him, ten feet separating them. "How on Earth… did you ever convince yourself you could get away with this?!"  
>Sliding his blade from its sheath, he ran forwards, slicing at her in an uppercut. His blade met hers, and the two were in a moment of frozen standstill. The calm before the storm. She smirked, her bloodstained fangs peeking out between her lips.<p>

"How did I know…? What a stupid question."

Kaname was expecting some sort of answer, so it caught him off guard when she simply removed her sword from his path and swung it out, clipping his chest.

_Ack! How could you let your guard down like that?!_

Kaname turned in a full circle, striking at her neck with his rapier, narrowly missing her and swinging back the other direction to create a nice gash from her shoulder to her hip. Blood sprayed over the carpeting, and he jumped forwards at her momentary hesitation, landing another blow to her shoulder, cutting deep through the bone.

Shizuka let out a pained scream, but she quickly recovered and jerked herself off of the blade, thrusting her own weapon at his head. He easily dodged and went in for another blow.

_We're matched—equals. The only way I can win this is if I can get her to use her powers to attack me first. That's the only way…_

Kaname dodged yet another blow and jumped up onto the alter, gaining the advantage of higher ground as he swung down at her, jumping up to avoid her low cuts.

_If I fail here, everything is over. I can't lose._

He jumped up and performed a brief flip, trapping the blade beneath his feet.

_I won't lose._

* * *

><p>Zero's heart pounded in his chest, sweat pouring down his face as he ran, trying hard not to give himself away by panting or groaning. The pain in his stomach and chest was almost unbearable, the hunger for blood growing stronger with every second. His neck leaked blood down his chest, and it took everything in him not to try and drink his own blood, despite the fact that biting himself on the neck was impossible.<p>

_Ichiru… I can feel you… you're close. Very close._

But where was he? He couldn't see him at all. Was this a fake trail he was following? No, it couldn't be. There was blood on the ground that didn't belong to him, and the battle was miles away.

Shaking hands grasped his side, sharp pain from his lack of breath stabbing into him. He screwed his eyes shut, ducking his head as he panted, slowing to a stop for just a moment.

_I won't be weak… I have to find Ichiru. If Ichiru can run under his conditions… I can run under these!_

He raised his head and took a gulp of air, taking off at a dead run again, the scent growing closer with every pounding footstep.

The smell continued to escalate higher and higher and at a faster rate until Zero found himself stumbling through a bush and into a small clearing. He hit his knees, feeling the breath flee his lungs, but he gathered himself quickly, standing up and looking around.

There, on the ground not fifteen feet away was his younger twin, on his knees and bleeding out into the grass.

"Ichiru…" Zero was stricken with worry, but he was hesitant to approach him. Ichiru… had betrayed him. Tried to kill him. Even though he was his little brother, Zero felt he could no longer… trust him. "Ichiru… are you alright?"

The boy let out an undesirable he had learned from their sensei, pounding his fist into the dirt. "It's… n-not fair… how did you keep up s-so easily…?" The silverette coughed, blood spraying from his mouth.

Zero took a few steps towards him, hand hovering over the Bloody Rose. "I'm glad you thought it was easy." He gasped in between words, still greatly out of breath, and he began to doubt his ability to take Ichiru down if necessary. "I can hardly see straight."

Ichiru's fingers curled through the grass. "Don't come any closer!" he screamed, standing up and reaching for his weapon.

Zero quickly drew the Bloody Rose, pointing it directly at his head and taking a few more steps, determination flashing in his eyes.

"Put your hands up, Ichiru. Where I can see them."

His brother stared at him, pain and anger burning in his lilac eyes. He submitted, putting his hands up slowly and turning to face his brother.

"Good." Zero stepped a little closer, the gun still trained on his younger sibling. "You've lost a lot of blood."

Ichiru continued to look at him, not saying a word.

_I can't tell if he speechless or dazed. He hasn't even realized the Bloody Rose can't hurt him._

"Why, Ichiru?"

Ichiru looked away, fists clenched at his sides. "Why… what?"

"You know what!" Zero shouted, and Ichiru jumped. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Ichiru blinked away tears, shrugged helplessly.

"What do you want me to tell you?" he asked.

Zero was quiet for a moment, and then he lowered his weapon. Lavender gazed at lilac, both colors locking, mirroring each other.

"I want you to tell me the truth."

* * *

><p><strong>A\N: Please Review!<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**A\N: AUGH. This was a pain in the butt to write... I hope it turned out okay. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"The… truth?"<p>

"About that night. When she killed them and you left with her."

Zero watched his brother's expression twist and contort, a heavy silence settling between them. Ichiru looked at the ground, scoffing quietly and shaking his head. Zero glared, anger rising in his chest at his off-handed manner. "It's not a difficult question, Ichiru!" he shouted, raising his weapon again. "Answer me!"

Ichiru looked back up, a sort of dark humor lighting his eyes. "Why did I…?" He chuckled softly. "I hated them."

Zero blinked, hands clenching in fists of rage. "How could you hate them? They loved you and cared for you with everything they had. They never picked me over you, they never cared that you were sick, they never—"

"Liar!" Ichiru's hand shot forwards, and Zero barely had enough time to dodge the knife before firing his gun at the ex-hunter's shoulder.

Ichiru let out a cry, gripping the wound and falling to his knees. Blood spilled through his fingers and onto the ground, body quivering at the loss.

Zero lowered his weapon slowly, fingers still curled around the grip. Zero took a step forward, heart pounding in his chest. Ichiru's head snapped up, eyes wide, and he struggled to get to his feet only to fall backwards, letting out another scream.

Zero's chest began to ache, the sight of his younger twin on the ground in a pool of blood quickly becoming more than he could handle. Ichiru panted heavily, a few silent tears falling from his eyes as he attempted to get his bearings and escape.

"Y-you… you won…" Ichiru cursed, shaking his head. "You won…"

Zero said nothing for a few moments, feeling nothing but pain. He wasn't angry anymore… his confusion didn't matter. He just didn't understand, and it killed him to know that his twin brother—his other half, his reason for living—truly did hate him.

"When… did it become a competition?" Zero asked quietly.

Ichiru scoffed, fingers digging into his clothing. "Tch. The moment we were born. Even if… even if they pretended to care… you were the only success, Zero. For the rest of my life I would have to get the pity love while you got the well-earned and deserved love. Mother would hug me because I was sick—she would hug you because she was proud…"

Zero shook his head. "Ichiru, that's not—"

"Shut up! That's the way it was, and you know it!" Ichiru gasped, knees drawing towards his chest in a semi-fetal position. "They never loved me like they loved you…"

Zero stood in silence for a moment, finger tempting the trigger of the Bloody Rose. Slowly, he turned his eyes towards the sky and slipped his free hand into his pocket. The wind rustled through the trees, tousling his hair, cooling his body, calming him down.

"You… hate me, don't you?"

There was silence from Ichiru's end.

"You really wanted to kill me that night. You wanted me dead with Mom and Dad… she's the one who—"

"No."

Zero looked down, eyes widening slightly.

"I begged Shizuka to let you live. I… don't hate you."

Zero shook his head slowly. "But… I'm your rival."

Ichiru shook his head. "Zero… you were always proud of me. Even… for the small, insignificant things, you would smile and nod your head approvingly. The tiniest of accomplishments were met with a trophy from you…"

Zero sighed heavily, turning his face away. _I guess that's true… I can remember a few times when I made a big deal out of nothing. But I'm still not satisfied…_

"You're not a murderer, regardless of how much you hated Mom and Dad. And you claim you don't hate me. So… why? Why would you get someone like Shizuka Hio to… to…"

Ichiru looked away, and Zero inwardly groaned.

_This discussion is far from over._

* * *

><p>Kaname hit the wall and tumbled to the ground, smoothing the transition from shoulders to feet as he stood up, pressing his back against the wall and raising his blade. Shizuka's sword came crashing down on his, but he didn't waver, smirking at the frustrated expression on her face.<p>

"Problem?"

She snarled, pulling the rapier back and swinging it down again. Grunting, he buckled slightly under the force, a devilish grin parting his lips.

_She used her powers to strengthen that blow._

She pulled backed to strike again, and he waited until she was in motion to slide out of the way, her momentum carrying her to the floor while he wrung back around to clip her shoulder. Shizuka was upright and blocking him faster than any human eye could follow, and he quickly traced the attack, driving for her stomach. She jumped up and swung down, narrowly missing his right lung as he toppled to the side, jumping to his feet.

_Whew! That was close…_

He kept his poker face, trying to even out his breathing as she took moment to gather herself.

_I have to be careful. If she gets a fatal blow in, it doesn't matter who uses their power first—I'll lose._

She suddenly ran at him, and Kaname jumped back, landing on a half-broken pew and struggling to keep his balance as he blocked three more hits. Drawing his sword up, he took another step back, foot catching on a broken board and sending him to the floor.

His back touched the floor, and he swung his legs up over his head, successfully sending himself into a backflip type of somersault, landing on solid ground and rushing forwards, plunging his sword through her hip.

Not waiting for a reaction, he jerked the blade free and pulled a little of his vampire strength out to jump into the rafters, taking a moment to catch his breath.

_She didn't scream… so it wasn't a heavy enough blow…_

His chest heaved and he opened his mouth, trying to breathe as silently as possible. Pushing his sweaty bangs out of his eyes, he shed his coat, allowing it to sit on the beam while he watched the woman below.

_If I don't' use my power soon, I'll be physically exhausted when I need strength the most. But if I use them too soon, it will be a battle of luck._

Kaname grit his teeth, glancing down at the wound in his side. The blade had merely nicked him, but it was enough to cause an unpleasant sting, and he was trying to refrain from supernaturally healing if at all possible.

_Can't let her catch her breath._

Inhaling deeply, he gripped the sword in both hands and jumped from the rafters, a metallic scream tearing through the air as their weapons met. He didn't give her time to recover, pulling his blade back and swinging it repeatedly, cutting from all different directions and thrusting at different locations.

Shizuka stumbled back, increasing her usage of power in order to deflect his blows, and his confidence grew. It wasn't time to pull out his trump quite yet, but he was getting there… and he was getting there much faster than he expected.

_I wonder how the others are doing…_

* * *

><p>Aido doubled over, gasping for air while his cousin covered for him, rubbing his back and shouting over the ruckus of battle.<p>

"You okay?"

Aido did his best to give him a thumbs up, his lungs nearly caving in from lack of oxygen. Ruka glanced over at him for a moment before returning to battle, but he knew exactly what she was thinking.

He overdid it. Big time.

Shizuka's lackeys had come in two waves, which no one had expected. During the first wave, Aido had gone all out and demolished hundreds of the beasts. He was tired at the end, but he didn't think anything of it because it was supposedly over.

Imagine his shock when hundreds of the beasts came flying out of the trees, every single one of them fresh out of their prison, ready for a battle while the nobles were running on the lasts of their energy.

Aido grimaced, straightening up and sending a wave of ice over the oncoming hoard, the simple action sending waves of excruciating pain through his body. Akatsuki rubbed his back with one hand while he used the other to burn only the vampires that were close enough to be considered a threat.

_That's what I should have done earlier…_

"Aido, you should return to the hideout." Akatsuki didn't remove his eyes from the battlefield when he spoke, but Aido could envision them anyways.

Worried, slightly annoyed, and a bit disappointed.

"No! I'm staying right here." Aido coughed into his hand, ignoring the blood flecks that decorated his pale hand. "I just need to catch my breath."

Akatsuki said nothing.

Aido straightened up again, holding a hand to his side and getting used to the stretched out feel of his wound rejecting his standing position. He took a few deep breaths, steadying himself and gathering his energy at his core.

_Focus… breathe… focus…_

A light smirk tugged his lips upward, and he threw his hand outward, sending sheet after sheet of ice over the mob. He turned in a circle slowly, ignoring the bubbling liquid rising in his throat. He continued to rotate, blood sliding from his nose down over his upper lip as he watched hundreds upon hundreds of vampires turned to slabs of ice and then dust.

Akatsuki turned when he felt the cool air brushing past him, eyes widening in horror. "Hanabusa!"

Aido ignored him and allowed his eyes to drift shut, pushing his energy into his hand and sending more frost out over the masses, almost all the way around now. Ruka's voice came from the distance, but he ignored her, too.

Panting, blood splashing past his lips, he forced his eyes open and saw he had made a full circle. There wasn't a Level D or E in sight.

_Did… we win?_

Aido gagged, blood rushing up his throat and out of his mouth as he dropped his head, coughing violently. His whole body felt drained, and his muscles refused to carry out any orders his brain delivered.

_Please tell me… it's over…_

The ground came rushing up to meet him.

"Hanabusa!"

* * *

><p>A tingle traveled up the boy's spine at the smell of her blood. Despite all the pain he was in, from his pounding headache to his gunshot wound, he couldn't help worrying about her. If his human nose could pick up the scent… it had to be a large amount.<p>

_Shizuka-sama…_

"Why did you do it, Ichiru?"

Ichiru turned to his brother tiredly, agony burning from his core on outward, blood pooling around him. "How many times are you going to ask me that, Zero?"

"Until I get an answer."

Ichiru cursed under his breath, glancing over his shoulder towards the deep wood path that led to the church where Shizuka was. From the intense smell, she was losing, and if he didn't get to her soon…

Ichiru jumped, sharp pain flashing over his forehead.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, stupid!"

Ichiru glared at him, crossing his arms over his chest despite the pain and sticking out his tongue. "You're stupid," he mumbled. "I'm done talking."

Zero shoved the muzzle of the Bloody Rose against Ichiru's temple, the cold metal momentarily relieving his headache, and demanded an answer once again. Ichiru just shook his head, not minding the weapon.

"Stop worrying about that… demon!"

Ichiru jerked at that, eyes narrowing as he met his brother's gaze. "She's not—"

"I can smell it better than you can and believe you me, she's done for."

Ichiru's heart leaped into his throat, panic seizing him as he jumped to his feet. A surprised yelp escaped his lips as his back hit a nearby tree, the gun pressed painfully between his eyes.

"Get off me!"

"Why are you going back to her? What can she offer you?"

Ichiru clenched his fist, whipping it past his face and sending the Blood Rose flying. "Why are you staying with Kuran-sama?"

Zero faltered for just a split second before recovering. "Because he didn't kill my family, and he cares for me!"

"Well Shizuka-sama cares for _me_!"

Ichiru's scream seemed to echo in the silence that followed. The Bloody Rose dangled from her chain, swaying in the wind. Zero's eyes were wide and utterly dumbfounded, his jaw opening and closing in unspoken words.

"Wh… What?!" Zero shook his head, clamping a hand over each side. "This is ridiculous! She's using you, Ichiru! _Using _you!"

Ichiru shook his head. "No, you're wrong. She cares about me—more than Mom and Dad ever did. She said I'm useful—I make her proud."

Zero continued to rage, eyes blazing with hatred and anger. "Don't you know what it means when a pureblood says you're useful? Do you realize the word 'use' is actually _inside _the word 'useful'?"

Ichiru grit his teeth. "Shut up! You don't know anything about her!"

"She's going to keep you around until you mess up at something, and then she's going to throw you out like yesterday's garbage! I won't let my little brother be tossed aside like trash!"

Vision blurring with rage, he ran forward, his fist making solid contact with Zero's jaw, sending the boy sprawling to the grass.

"_Shut up!"_

Ichiru turned on his heel and dashed into the woods, trying to gain some head while his brother was disoriented.

_He's lying… she would never do that to me… never…_

He took a few shuddering gasps, pain increasing with every step taken. His face twisted up, a knot forming in the pit of his stomach. The smell of blood still lingered in the air, and Ichiru pushed himself harder, not knowing exactly what he was planning on doing, but knowing he had to do something.

_Shizuka-sama… I… I will try my best! I won't fail you!_

* * *

><p>Kaname panted lightly, staring at the sight before him and calculating his next move carefully. Shizuka was covered in minor injuries; gashes and bite marks and a few stab wound in non-vital areas. She had been using her pureblood abilities for a good… half an hour now. She was growing weaker by the second.<p>

He also sported several small wounds and felt out of breath and weak. However… he had still yet to use his powers. He still had the advantage.

_I think… it's time to use it…_

He took a few steps back, closing his eyes for just a moment to gather himself. The rustling of clothing caused his eyes to open again, and he quickly took control of her body with his excess power, the rest of it channeling into one, single attack. Shizuka stumbled to her feet at his will, her hair in disarray, eyes filled with something like madness.

Kaname felt his body begin to go warm, a light red glow emanating from his pale skin. Black currents began to flow through it, crackling as the two polar energies ran together, his gaze slowly turning crimson.

"Shizuka… you have hurt many people who are dear to me. I won't tolerate this any longer…"

The energy reached its peak, and Kaname extended his hand slowly, doing his best to remember everything his father had taught him about demolishing another pureblood's body. It was a difficult task, but he felt capable.

_Okay… focus… breathe… and…_

Kaname took a deep breath and shot the energy forwards, eyes widening when he heard a scream coming from his left. The moment froze.

Ichiru ran towards Shizuka, arms outstretched, trying get between Kaname and his prey. The boy's face was one of pure terror, his eyes wide and horrified with an immeasurable amount of worry. Shizuka was stranded, unable to do anything, but Kaname would never forget the look of loathing etched onto her face. Nothing marred a pureblood's beauty quite like a look of hatred and malice.

_Stupid Kiryuu!_

He himself felt a moment of complete and total panic, reacting on instinct and recalling the energy to himself, time returning to its regular scale.

Ichiru hit the ground, blood spurting from his chest, and Kaname found himself with a handful of energy that wasn't near enough to kill Shizuka. This was the last of what he had, and he was completely without a back-up plan.

"Sh…Shizuka-s…sama?"

Kaname's heart broke for the pitiful idiot sprawled on the floor, bloody and torn beyond recognition. He turned to Shizuka, still containing the power in his forearms, waiting to see what should be done with it.

"It appears your usefulness is almost gone…"

Kaname grit his teeth, clenching his fists at his sides. "Shizuka… you are a heartless monster."

She smiled at him almost warmly. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

There was a moment where silence filled the air save for the little hunter's coughing and wheezing on the floor. And then Kaname rushed her. He wasn't entirely sure what he was thinking or why his little plan occurred to him, but he rushed her.

Feet pounding into the stones, he close the gap, keeping her stationary with the back of his mind as he gathered all of the earth-shattering force in his fingertips. His food landed in front of hers, and with a warlike cry, he thrust his hands into her chest, releasing everything he had held back and sending her across the church into the wall.

"Sh-shizuka-sama! Sh—" Ichiru stopped midsentence, coughing harshly, blood speckling his lips.

Kaname watched her body carefully, looking for any sign or movement that would tell him what she was going to do next. He knew she wasn't dead—it was impossible for that amount of energy to end a pureblood—but he didn't know if she was capable of fighting or not.

_Better approach this cautiously…_

He started through the broken down church, climbing over an overturned pew and peering into the debris, searching for those poisonous eyes.

He found them, a light smile teasing his lips. "Ah. There you are." He pulled his sword from its sheath, positioning it over her heart. "You don't regret anything, do you?"

Shizuka just stared at him, her expression blank.

"Zero? His parents? His brother? My family? My status? Aido? Akatsuki? Your brother? Anyone at all?" He shook his head slowly at her unresponsiveness, lowering the tip to her still beating heart. "No regrets…"

Kaname gripped the sword with both hands.  
>"N-no! Please!"<p>

Blood splashed up over the blade, coating Kaname's hands, and he gave the sword a good twist. Shizuka Hio's final heartbeat echoed in his mind, his eyes drifting shut as he pondered how to deal with the hysterical child behind him.

"N…no… y-you… h-how… how could you?!"

Kaname released the weapon, stepping away from the corpse as it began to glow. He turned towards the boy on the floor, a sad sigh escaping his lips.

"Ichiru."

The young hunter choked on his tears, trying desperately to get up, fear written all over his face. Kaname shook his head, walking over to him and kneeling down.

"D-don't touch m-me…"

Kaname ignored him and gently fingered the wound in his chest. He moved to the wound on the boy's shoulder and checked the rest of his body, finding yet another gunshot wound, this one in his leg.

"You're going to bleed to death. You have no vampire healing abilities and the hospital is too far away."

"You think I don't know that!" Ichiru cried, letting out a gagging noise as his stomach protested the pain riddling his body.

Kaname quickly lifted his torso up, helping him lean to the side so wouldn't choke. Ichiru retched onto the ground, his fingers subconsciously curling around Kaname's hand. The pureblood gave the boy a squeeze, brushing his bangs back out of his eyes.

"Kaname!"

Kaname glanced up, smiling weakly at Zero, who was running towards him. "Hello, Zero."

Zero slowed to a walk, lavender eyes never leaving his brother. "What… what happened?" The preteen suddenly rushed at the two, falling to his knees beside his brother. "Ichiru?!"

Kaname placed the boy back on the ground, rubbing his chest gently. "Zero, he's bleeding too much. We won't be able to stop it."

"You can stop it! You're a pureblood!"

Kaname shook his head, checking Ichiru's pulse. "It took almost everything I had to end Shizuka. There's no way I can bring someone back from near death after that."

"You have to!" Zero screamed, reaching across and grabbing Kaname by the shirtfront. "He can't die!"

Kaname blinked, surprised by the force in his voice. Gently removing the hands, he tried to think, examining the boy's body and going over the options in his head.

_Any type of healing power I use to stop the bleeding will only work so much, and I'll probably pass out. I can stop it by normal means, and because he's human, he has no healing factor or blood excess whatsoever. The only way he could survive is if…_

Kaname sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright… alright, there's one thing I could try."

"Do it!"

Kaname looked at him, giving him a light smile. "You say that without even hearing what I have to say."

"I trust you! Whatever you think will work, do it!" Zero rushed, nudging Ichiru's body towards him.

Kaname inhaled deeply. "Alright… here goes nothing… I'm very sorry, Ichiru." With that, he lowered his mouth to the boy's neck, running his tongue over the pulsing artery. "I'll do it right here, Ichiru. Just relax…"

The boy quivered in his arms, but neither of them objected, and Kaname opened his mouth wide, plunging his fangs deep into his throat.

Ichiru's scream echoed through the empty building, and Kaname was vaguely aware of Zero moving around them. Tears rolled down Ichiru's cheeks, falling onto Kaname's neck, and the pureblood felt around with his free hand, seeking out Ichiru's hand and taking hold of it. The little hunter gripped him tightly, shaking in the pureblood's arms, and Zero continued to bustle around them like a worried mother, making comments under his breath.

_If I can get him a healing factor without taking too much blood… this just might work. _

"K-Kuran-sama…"

_Hush, Ichiru. It'll soon be over. It'll soon be all over…_


	11. Epilogue

**A\N: The final chapter. THE EPILOGUE. *heart***

**_Final Mentions:_Blackenflames, Seto k4iba1, fluffybunny39, Silvereyedfreak, cybersuzy, AmericanIdiot1, CapriciousUke, Aniwolfgirl, Hashi-Hashi, Zoey Nightrod, and violetkisses THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOU REVIEWS! I hope the story was to your liking and you all enjoyed it. If you need to get in contact with me or want to keep up with my other stories you should go to my facebook page...  
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**HERE: www . facebook increak96 (Just take out the spaces!)  
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**Now... ENJOY THE END! *heart*  
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><p>"Hey, hey, hey! Hot plate coming through!"<p>

"Eep! Aido, watch where you're going!"

"Well, Ruka and Akatsuki are cooking in the kitchen, I'm just trying to help by serving!"

"Are you _sure _they're cooking in there?"

"Yeah, Zero. Cookin' up some love."

"Ack! Ichiru! Zero! That's inappropriate!"

"We just meant they were huggin' and stuff."

"What did _you _think we meant, Aido?"

"Ack! W-well…"

"Aido… shut up."

"You first, Shiki!"

Kaname Kuran's eyes fluttered open, a frown twisting his lips when he saw he was in a large, luxurious bedroom. Then he remembered they were no longer living in a sewer, and a smile lit his face.

_I suppose it's time to get up…_

He stood up slowly, stretching and cracking his back as he made his way over to the closet. He grabbed a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans, throwing them on before heading down the stairs towards the dining room, several luscious aromas assaulting his nose.

Kaname entered the room, smiling at the vampires sitting around the long table. Aido turned to him, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Oi. Look who finally decided to get up."

Kaname rolled his eyes, leaning against the doorframe. "Pardon me. I happen to have taken a few large blows during that battle."

Akatsuki stepped out of the kitchen, a tray on each hand. "So did someone else, but they don't seem to want to listen to reason."

Aido set down the plate of steaming biscuits and railed his fist at his cousin. "I am perfectly fine! That battle did minimal damage, and I recovered with no problems whatsoever!"

As if his own body lived to spite him, he began to cough, stumbling back slightly. Kaname stepped forwards, catching him before he fell and leading him to a nearby chair.

"Sit down, Aido. I'll help with the serving."

"But Kaname-sama—"

Kaname shook his head. "No buts."

"Good morning, Master Kaname!"

Kaname glanced up at the cheerful face of Ichiru Kiryuu, eyebrows raising. "What have I told you about calling me 'master'? Just Kaname suits me perfectly fine."

Zero glanced upward, a mischievous grin on his face. "I dunno. A few other words come to mind that could suit you perfectly…"

Kaname grinned. "You want to name a few of them, Kiryuu-kun?" he challenged.

The silverette just laughed at him, rushing into the kitchen. "I'm going to go help Ruka!"

Kaname blew his bangs out of his eyes. "Why are holidays always so crazy?"

Aido shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno—I enjoy them! Especially Thanksgiving! It's so nice… and there's a lot of food!"

Kaname yawned lightly, nodding his head. "You make a good point. I suppose I'll go help in the kitchen then."

Kaname stepped into the kitchen, walking over to the counter where several prepared trays sat, all lined up and ready to be taken out.

_It's been… a month since the battle. Since I got put back into power. Zero and Ichiru are nicely adjusted… both of them have been drinking my blood to stay under control, but they're very careful about it. Aido has mostly recovered his energy drain, and very few others sustained major injuries. There were a few fatalities… but it was better than I ever expected._

Kaname jumped as his body ran cold, a delirious giggle catching his ear.

"If he kills you for that, I'm not going to help you."

Kaname turned around slowly, mouth slightly open. Zero stood there with an empty pitcher in his hands, pointing and laughing with his head thrown back, his eyes closed.

Kaname took that one, single moment to realize… this was his family. His crazy, lovable, wonderful, dysfunctional family. They had been through a lot, and they were going to go through more… and he really wouldn't have it any other way.

But Zero was still going to pay for that.

"Ouch! It was just a joke! H-hey!"

"You shouldn't have done that, Zero. It was very foolish."

"This is coming from the king of fools, Hanabusa Aido?"

"Be quiet, Ruka!"

"She's right, you know."

"You too, Akatsuki!"

"Ouch! Hey! Getting mauled by a pureblood here!"

"It's your own fault, brother."

"Gee, thanks."

"Who wants food?"

"I do!"

"Oh, me!"

"Pass the turkey!"

"HELP ME!"


End file.
